Philips Electronics NV, after stumbling in its initial efforts to enter the videogame market, is staging a comeback based primarily on a new system of special effects that make the gaming experience
all-encompassing. The company has developed new, special devices that connect parts of a room like lights, fans, heaters, furniture and sound-and-video systems and synchronize them with specially
tailored games. The new devices are expected to be introduced next year on Philips's new amBX system. However, plans are still at an early stage and one major factor--pricing--isn't clear yet. It's
likely, though, that gamers will have to pay extra for amBX-enabled games and buy accessories like electric fans and lights separately. Philips failed with its last big attempt to grab gamers'
interest, in the early 1990s. Its multifunctional CD-i gaming and music console was expensive and complex, and consumers preferred systems from Sony Corp. and SEGA Corp. David Cole, president of
market research firm DFC Intelligence in San Diego, estimates the market for games, excluding hardware, was around $18 billion in 2004. He estimates the worldwide gaming accessories market at $2
billion.
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