Red Hat shares up on acquisition and 3Q results

Red Hat Inc.'s shares jumped Friday on the software company's solid third-quarter results and plans to acquire cloud-based software company ManageIQ. THE SPARK: Red Hat said late Thursday that it would buy privately held ManageIQ for $104 million in cash. The Raleigh, N.C., company also reported that it earned 29 cents per share for its fiscal third quarter on an adjusted basis, up a penny from the prior year and in line with analyst expectations. Its revenue for the period increased 18 percent to $343.6 million, which beats the $338 million that analysts polled by FactSet had forecast. THE BIG PICTURE: ManageIQ's software helps businesses deploy and manage private clouds. Red Hat said the deal will expand the reach of its public-private cloud setups for its customers. The acquisition is expected to have no material impact to Red Hat's revenue for its fiscal year ending in February. THE ANALYSIS: Stifel Nicolaus analyst Brad R. Reback said that the company has been able to maintain momentum even in a difficult environment and he thinks the latest deal offers an interesting longer-term angle for its business. He thinks the company is well positioned to generate at least 15 to 20 percent billings growth in the future. He reiterated a "Buy" rating and a $65 price target on its shares. SHARE ACTION: Shares gained $2.25, or more than 4 percent, to $54.86 in afternoon trading. Shares have traded between $39.19 and $62.75 in the past 52 weeks.

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Minecraft sells almost 4.5 million copies on Xbox 360 as other indie games continue to struggle

Big-budget games such as Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II might brag about how they rule the Xbox 360 in terms of sales, but indie games can also compete – if they’re addictive enough and offer enough value. Take Minecraft, an indie game developed by Markus “Notch” Persson’s company Mojang. According to Mojang, Minecraft, an indie game originally made for PC and ported to the Xbox 360 seven months ago has sold 4,476,904 copies as of the end of November with 40,000 to 60,000 copies sold every week. Minecraft is an anomaly because it doesn’t boast high-definition graphics that ooze of detailed lighting effects and didn’t cost millions of dollars to make, and yet it is the third-most played game on Xbox LIVE. According to Gamasutra’s analysis and breakdown of November’s Xbox Live Arcade sales, only three other indie games managed to break 1 million copies downloaded last month. See below for the chart. As you can see, every other game on Xbox Live Arcade other than Castle Crashers, Fruit Ninja Kinect, Happy Wars and Counter Strike: GO isn’t seeing the same type of success Minecraft is. The lesson here is developers should always focus on the product and the users. If the gameplay mechanics are solid, the experience is fluid and bug-free, the gamers will come.

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New Sony online store offers remote downloads to PlayStation and mobile devices

Continuing its efforts to make buying digital content for PlayStation consoles easier, Sony’s (SNE) quietly flipped the switch on for its Sony Entertainment Network Store. The new Web store finally allows games, movies and TV shows for the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PSP, Xperia tablets and Xperia smartphones to be purchased through a Web browser and then queued up for download to a designated device. Content can be purchased with credit cards, pre-paid cards and even PayPal. Currently available only in Europe, Sony says the new SEN Store will launch in the U.S. next week and is part of the company’s latest round of updates that put it on equal footing with Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360. As gamers would know, the Xbox 360 has had the ability to buy and download games remotely from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Web store for a while now.

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Syrian rebels now have a tank operated with a PlayStation controller

As Syria's rebels work to overthrow the tank-equipped Assad regime, they've learned that it helps to have tanks of their own. They deserve bonus points for integrating video game technology. This is no exaggeration. Have a look at the opposition forces' "100 percent made in Syria" armored vehicle, the Sham II. RELATED: What Dennis Kucinich Really Said in Syria Named for ancient Syria and assembled out of spare parts over the course of a month, the Sham II is sort of rough around the edges, but it's got impressive guts. It rides on the chassis of an old diesel car and is fully encased in light steel that's rusted from the elements. Five cameras are mounted on the tank's exterior, and there's a machine gun mounted on a turning turret. Inside, it kind of looks like a man cave. A couple of flat-screen TVs are mounted on opposite walls. The driver sits in front of one, controlling the vehicle with a steering wheel, and the gunner sits at the other, aiming the machine gun with a PlayStation controller. RELATED: It's Never a Good Idea to Put Your Torture Victims on YouTube Sham II is heading up to the devastated city of Aleppo to join the combat forces there. Meanwhile, rebel forces continue to close in on Damascus and Assad's shrinking regime. Diplomats have already begun to speculate about what the Syrian president's next move would be. We do know that Assad has been exploring the option of seeking political asylum in the Middle East or in Latin America. However, it looks more likely that Assad and his cronies will retreat to the Alawite-controlled mountains on Syria's Mediterranean coast. The only other alternative -- chemical weapons attack notwithstanding -- would be for Assad to stay in the palace and fight to the end. And can you imagine standing helpless as a fierce machine like Sham II roared up the palace steps? Run, Bashar. Run.

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Zynga moves to enter US gambling market

NEW YORK (AP) -- Online games company Zynga said it has asked Nevada gambling regulators for a decision that could pave the way for it to enter the U.S. gambling market. This follows Zynga's October disclosure that it has signed a deal to offer online poker and casino games, played with real money, in the U.K. It plans to launch those games in the first half of 2013. Zynga Inc. said in an email late Wednesday that it is seeking an "application for a preliminary finding of suitability" from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This, the company says, is part of its plan to enter regulated "real-money gaming," that is, gambling markets. Zynga has not said what it plans to do with a gaming license. But the company, whose games are played primarily on Facebook, has faltered in recent months and is looking for additional revenue sources beyond online games such as "FarmVille 2" and "Words With Friends." The San Francisco-based company says the process with Nevada regulators should take 12 to 18 months. If Zynga passes the first regulatory hurdle, it can then apply for a gaming license in the state. That, the company said, takes two to three months. Zynga's stock rose 17 cents, or 7.1 percent, to close Thursday at $2.49. The company went public about a year ago, when its stock priced at $10 per share.

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Tennis-Australian Open prize money raised to record levels

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Australian Open organisers increased prize money for the early losers at the opening grand slam of the season to record levels on Thursday, a move which is likely to quell player unrest and end talk of a strike. The Australian Open will now pay more prize money per round than any other tournament, with increases also coming in doubles and qualifying matches, but mixed doubles saw a money freeze. The biggest increases were for first round losers in the men's and women's singles, who will now receive A$27,600 ($29,000), representing a 32.7 percent boost from 2012, with those exiting in the second round taking home $45,500, up 36.6 percent. The move is likely to appease the players council, led by 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer, who had been calling for more revenue from the four elite tournaments to be passed down to those hitting the shots. "Our motivation is to make a major contribution toward helping ensure professional tennis players can make a decent living," Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, said in a statement. "As we have said in the past, it is a real issue and needs to be urgently addressed throughout the sport." In October, Tiley's team announced that the players would be vying for a share of a record A$30 million for the Jan. 14-27 event without giving the breakdown of how that money would be divided. Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus pocketed A$2.3 million each for their singles successes and a repeat next month in Melbourne would give them A$2.43 million. While the multi millionaires at the top of the game will appreciate the extra rewards, the players scrambling to make the top 100 of the men's and women's rankings and those who mainly compete in doubles will be happier. MAIN DRAW At the 2012 event, Israeli doubles veterans Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram shared A$9,500 for their first-round loss to the American Bryan brothers, offering little in the way of winnings once expenses had been taken into account. A similar result next month will see the pair collect A$12,500. "That is why the biggest increases are in the earlier rounds, qualifying and doubles which in effect rewards a lot of the lower-ranked players for their achievements which, by the way, should not be undersold," "To just reach the main draw of a slam, a professional tennis player has to be among the top 100 in what is one of, if not the most, competitive professional sport in the world," Tiley added. "At the same time, we also still want to continue to recognise the incredible drawing power and contribution of the top players." On Monday, the men's governing body, the ATP, gave a lukewarm response to the U.S. Open increasing prize money for the 2013 edition by $4 million to a record $29.5 million. "The ATP remains committed to continuing discussions on this issue, with the objective of ensuring that the players' share of the revenues at the U.S. Open truly reflects the value that they generate for the event," the body said. Tiley said his team had been in full discussion with the players and tours before announcing their increases with more likely to come "It is always a balance which is why we undertook unprecedented consultation on this subject with the tours and players who have been extremely supportive," Tiley said. "We will not be stopping here. There will be more talks and more increases during the next four years. This is just a very positive first step."

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Cricket-Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match. "Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban. "He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted. "After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery." The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1. New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches. "He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added.

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Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match. "Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban. "He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted. "After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery." The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1. New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches. "He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added. "The procedure is likely to keep him out of the game for 6-8 weeks."

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Rugby-Australian Johnson named Scotland interim head coach

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Australian Scott Johnson has been named Scotland's interim head coach for next year's Six Nations championship and the June tour of South Africa.
The 50-year-old takes over Andy Robinson whose three-year tenure ended last month following a poor run of results.
Johnson, a former Australian Under-21 international, joined Scotland this year as an assistant coach following a stint at Welsh club Ospreys.
"Scott has a wealth of experience of international rugby, which was instrumental in his appointment earlier this year as our senior assistant coach," Scottish Rugby CEO Mark Dodson said in a statement on the union's website (www.scottishrugby.org) on Thursday.
"He has coached with Australia, Wales and the USA and knows what it is to prepare teams to win on the international battleground."
The Scotland role will be Johnson's second as an interim head coach. He led Wales in three tests in 2006.
"It's an honour to take charge of the national team for our imminent campaign," Johnson said.
"I will be doing everything I can to bring the best out of our players as we all seek to achieve winning performances."

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RPT-Cricket-Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

(Repeats without change to text)
Dec 20 (Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.
Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match.
"Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban.
"He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted.
"After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery."
The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1.
New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches.
"He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added.
"The procedure is likely to keep him out of the game for 6-8 weeks.

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