I’m in Hollywood Chapter 829: Always remind yourself often
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After discussing the naming of the MP3 player, Bill Olson continued: "Next is the Yahoo music store, or Yahoo music box. At present, we have obtained online sales authorization for about 200,000 songs, but with The negotiation of the five world-class Record Company with the most abundant resources of music copyright has not made much progress. Therefore, the main music source of Fireflyer should be CD discs. Thanks to the promotion of the MP3 audio format, currently more than 50% of CD discs The MP3 format is used, even if it is not MP3 format, we can also convert it to MP3 audio through transcoding. "
The original contract between Yahoo and Microsoft will expire in two years. Although Microsoft has begun to suffer from antitrust investigations frequently in the past few years, it can be predicted that once the original contract expires in July 1999, once Microsoft Abandoning the original 30% equity acquisition plan will inevitably cause Yahoo Browser to lose its status as the default browser on the Windows platform. Eric's initial proposal was to develop an Yahoo music store website, but in order to avoid Yahoo Browser being squeezed out by Microsoft in the future, Yahoo has been promoting the individual software of its various online products in recent years to reduce its dependence on Yahoo Browser.
The same was true this time. Two teams of Yahoo and Firefly Electronics collaborated to refine the original rough idea of Eric, and developed a separate Yahoo music box software as a sales platform for online music stores. At the same time, Yahoo music box also It is more convenient to develop special software modules to specifically identify pirated CDs and prevent them from being used for audio copying. Seriously, because of the living environment of previous life, Eric didn't even consider it at first, and he was thankful that the team of Yahoo and Firefly Electronics thought of this. Otherwise, when Fireflyer is released, Firefly Electronics will definitely face major Record Company lawsuits. bombing.
Before the projector, Bill Olsen said here and looked at Eric again, saying: "Eric, although Yahoo tried to concentrate a lot of music resources to its own online store, in order to activate more payment under the Yahoo platform Users. But I think it ’s not cost-effective. Like Sony, although they have a Walkman, they still do n’t expect all Record Company to give them copyright to make music tapes, which is simply impossible. In my opinion, Fireflyer is absolutely There is the potential to replace the Walkman Walkman. If we can be more open and authorize each Record Company to operate its own online music store, the influence of Fireflyer will expand rapidly. The current annual sales volume of Walkman is 15 million pieces. If Fireflyer can also achieve this To a certain extent, according to the selling price of 299USD, our annual sales can reach 4500 million USD. "
Eric said: "However, Bill and Fireflyer now have no such influence at all, which can prompt major Record Company to set up a special music store for it. If we insist, Record Company will definitely open a lion. On the other hand, If Fireflyer has enough influence in the future, we will not need to compromise with Record Company at all, they will only actively seek cooperation. "
"But there is always a good time, Eric," Bill Olsen said: "Although we installed a piracy identification module on the Yahoo music box, we cannot stop all piracy after all, and the risk of litigation remains Exist, if you can completely cut off the CD disc copying channel and achieve complete digitalization, you can avoid this situation as much as possible. "
Eric is actually aware of Bill · Olson ’s thoughts. He originally hoped that the Yahoo music box could be stripped from Yahoo and operated separately by Firefly Electronics, but was rejected by Eric. Since Firefly Electronics could not occupy this platform, Firefly Considering the interests of electronics itself, Bill Olsen hoped that the music sales platform would be more open.
Small hands, Eric smiled and said: "Bill, we all know that it is still impossible to cut off the problem of piracy if we fully realize digital sales. However, since Sony's videotape lawsuit won, copyright has been unable to stop it through lawsuits. Advances in technology, and all current audio and video playback platforms such as Walkman, video recorders, CD players, MD players, and DVD players cannot completely eliminate the problem of piracy, so we only need to do what we can, You do n’t need to worry too much about this issue. "
Bill Olson knew from the smile of Eric that he saw through his mind and was not embarrassed. Bypassing this topic, he continued to discuss Fireflyer ’s component procurement system construction, sales network construction and product marketing issues.
Eric has invested 60 million USD in the research and development of MP3 players and e-book readers in the past two years. This also includes the cost of commissioning Seagate to develop micro hard drives and the cost of acquiring WIFI patents. It is specifically used in MP3 playback. There is not much research and development on the device side. After all, there are only more than 190 people in the R & D team responsible for the two products of Firefly Electronics. Although the annual salary of Silicon Valley engineers is generally high, the salary expenditure in these two years is only 30 million.
However, Bill Olsen ’s Fireflyer ’s budget plan from component procurement to product marketing has reached 200 million USD, giving Eric the feeling that it ’s like spending 60 million USD to make a movie but using 200 million USD Publicity and distribution costs.
Of course, Fireflyer ’s development prospects are certainly worth this budget. As Bill Olsen mentioned at the conference, if Fireflyer can replace the Walkman, it will bring 1 billion USD revenue to Firefly Electronics every year, and, Eric is clearer than everyone, Fireflyer does have the potential to replace the Walkman and all other portable music players.
The meeting opened until four o'clock in the afternoon to determine the detailed sale and promotion plan of Fireflyer. Eric and Chris visited the company's R & D department together with the two heads of Firefly Electronics.
At six o'clock, when everyone had dinner together, Eric flew back to Los Angeles while taking advantage of the night. Chris will continue to stay and dominate the integration work of Firefly Electronics and United KingdomARM chip company. The relevant plan was confirmed through a conference call with ARM management yesterday. Prior to this, Firefly Electronics has taken out samples of e-book readers, but because the current production cost of this machine is close to 400USD, if you want to ensure sufficient profits, the sales price should be at least 700USD, which is an ordinary consumer Difficult to accept the price. After everyone's discussion, Eric decided to temporarily abandon this product, and instead use the accumulated technology to develop a more feature-rich tablet Yah00Pad under the cooperation of Firefly Electronics, ARM and Yahoo, which was also the original Eric plan In the second phase of China, and plans to launch mature products around 2000, when the electronics industry further develops, the manufacturing cost of Yah00PaDC's will certainly fall to a more reasonable price.
The Gulfstream business jet landed at the Santa Monica airport in the hazy night. Eric had just got off the plane and received a call from Michael · Eisner personally, asking if he had time to eat dinner at night.
Eric is of course aware of the origin of Michael · Eisner. The digital field has ceased external cooperation. For a long time in the future, it will be difficult for Warner, Paramount, Universal and Sony to produce excellent CG special effects movies. The top executives of several major Film Studios have almost personally called to test whether Eric has the possibility to cancel this decision. The call of Michael · Eisner is still relatively backward.
Considering that there are no reservations tonight, Eric agreed to come down and drive to the Morton restaurant in Beverly Hills Manor, a well-known restaurant where Hollywood filmmakers often come and go.
When it arrived at the restaurant, it was almost nine o'clock. Eric, led by the waiter, quickly found the location of Michael · Eisner.
Reading a copy of newspaper ’s Michael · Eisner sitting at the dining table and seeing Eric walk up and stand up. The two shook hands and greeted each other. Eric could n’t help but ridicule: “I did n’t expect you would choose this restaurant. "
This sentence is not aimless, but a past that most people of Hollywood know.
In the mid-1980s, Michael · Eisner, who also served as Chairman in Paramount, had a stale relationship with the parent company Chairman Martin · Davis. He was planning to switch to Disney as CEO. When he negotiated the conditions with several Disney stakeholders After Paramount resigned, Disney Board of Directors disputed the decision to appoint Michael · Eisner, which also led to the sudden unemployed state of Michael · Eisner. Immediately, Michael · Eisner, who had just left the Hollywood power center, immediately encountered the dilemma of walking away. One night, he planned to have dinner with his friend Michael · Ovitz and called Morton Restaurant for a location. He was never rejected. He was suddenly told that he was fully booked that time. Michael · Ovitz, who was present at the time, called again, but he easily set a position. This kind of thing is a shame for a Hollywood tycoon.
Michael · Eisner heard Eric's ridicule, but his expression was very flat, and said lightly: "Always always remind yourself."
"Oh," Eric smiled, and the two sat down. Although they had already eaten dinner at San Francisco, Eric ordered a food.
Waiting for the waitress to leave, Michael · Eisner took the initiative to say: "Eric, I heard that you went to San Francisco these two days?"
"Well, a company that was built over there vacated a small thing, and it will go on sale soon, I will go over and see."
Michael · Eisner smiled and said: "The things that can be valued by you are definitely not as simple as small things?"
Eric suddenly realized something, but the expression did not change, but explained in detail: "It is a brand-new portable music player, but the sample is in my luggage, otherwise I can send you one, It's a very interesting little thing. "
Since Michael · Eisner already knew about it, he no longer concealed it, Eric even guessed that Michael · Eisner probably already knew that Yahoo and Universal records were engaged in online music sales.
Obviously, Michael · Eisner wants to use Universal copyright as a bargaining chip in exchange for some real benefits. For example, the digital field continues to provide technical support for Universal Pictures.
However, Michael · Eisner clearly miscalculated.
"Actually, I had a meal with Doug Morris of Universal Records at noon today, and I just heard about it," Michael · Eisner didn't meander. "I also heard that the cooperation between Yahoo and Universal Records Negotiations seem to be in a stalemate. "
"This is an inevitable thing," Eric said: "Large companies always have the arrogance of big companies. They often can't see the situation clearly. When they have the initiative, they hold their identity and don't think about progress. They will lose their initiative one day. Rights, they will claim themselves as victims. "
In the original space and time, several major Record Companys had the advantage over Apple to deploy MP3 players, but either to maintain the market position of their old portable players that are about to be eliminated, or the group management system was rigid and unresponsive. In short, in the MP3 player, which is a low-threshold electronic product, although many Record Company have tried, they all ended in failure. Eventually, Apple occupied more than 70% of the music player market, and finally had to go to Apple online music The rules of the sales platform are being led by others, and from time to time, like the complaint, the Apple player condones piracy and infringes its own rights. I do n’t know, even without Apple, in the Internet era, because the cost of pirated music was greatly reduced It is simply impossible for the record industry to maintain its former glory.
Michael · Eisner of course ca n’t see the future scenes. Although I feel that Eric is a bit inexplicable, he did n’t refute it.
A few casual chats. The dinner was served quickly. Michael · Eisner took a sip of red wine, put down the goblet, and continued: "Eric, I think you must have guessed my idea. This is it. I can help convince Mr. Bronfman to let him support the cooperation between Yahoo and Universal records, but in exchange, I hope that the digital field will continue to open cooperation with Universal Pictures, what do you think? "
Eric shook his head and said: "Sorry, Michael, I can't promise your terms."
Michael · Eisner was stunned. He did not expect that Eric would refuse so simply. During the daytime, he had investigated the situation of the Yahoo online music store in detail. Although he has reached cooperation with some second- and third-tier Record Company, Yahoo music The number of songs copyright in the store is only 200,000. The more popular songs and albums are also limited to the young pop singers that Firefly Records has cultivated in recent years. On the Universal side, Universal records have more than a quarter of music copyright resources of United States. If they can cooperate with Universal, other Record Company attitudes will definitely not be so determined. (To be continued.)