October 28, 2004
Mobile Phone Gaming to Top $1 Billion in '04
LONDON (Reuters) - Video game and mobile phone companies are set to make money this year as customers use phones to zap space invaders or sink game-winning golf putts, pushing the mobile gaming market over $1 billion, a study said.
According to London-based consultancy Screen Digest, mobile phone gaming also will grow by more than six times to $6.4 billion between 2004 and the end of decade. Currently, Japan and Korea are well ahead of North America and Europe in market size, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all revenues derived from video game play and game downloads, Screen Digest said on Thursday.
A confusing maze of tariffs for downloads and gameplay charged by mobile operators in Europe is depressing early growth in the region, Screen Digest said. "We think the mobile operators in Europe have not yet got the strategies right to exploit this market to its full potential," said Screen Digest chief analyst Ben Keen.
The firm added that North America, despite having a less sophisticated mobile phone market than Europe and Asia, is expected to grow at a faster clip than those regions. Compared to the booming video games business, the nascent market for mobile-phone gaming has only recently begun to show signs of life as a new breed of sophisticated handsets has hit the market and more gaming companies have developed top titles for the small screen.
Earlier this year, gaming giant Electronic Arts (ERTS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said it will boost production of video games for mobile phones over the next year, bringing four top-selling titles including "Fifa Football" and "The Sims" to handsets. Rivals Eidos (EID.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , Ubisoft (UBIP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and THQ Inc. (THQI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) have been investing more money into the promising market as well.
Posted by richard ting at October 28, 2004, 01:17 AM
October 25, 2004
Chicken Fight - Crispin Porter
[from Adweek]
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is upset with Burger King about the www.chickenfight.com promotion created by Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. The site allows users to pit two guys in chicken suits -- representing different chicken sandwiches -- against each other in a cage match. Not funny, according to HSUS president and CEO Wayne Pacelle, who says in a statement, "Whatever the intent of this promotion, the effect is to make light of chicken fighting. Cockfighting, which is illegal in 48 states, is a disgraceful practice not only involving animal cruelty, but drug trafficking, illegal gambling and human-on-human violence."
Check out the site.
Check out the subservient chicken.
Posted by richard ting at October 25, 2004, 05:07 AM
October 22, 2004
Mazda's Blog+Viral Campaign Falls Flat
[from marketing vox]
Mazda's new blog-cum-viral marketing effort proved to be pretty lame, and its failures reveal one of the dynamics limiting large advertisers in their exploitation of new forms of marketing. The campaign takes an old set of video "viral" ads that never became very popular months ago and attempts to rejuvenate them by creating a fake blog to tout them. Compounding the first failure (not understanding that a viral ad isn't just a :30 - perhaps with a dirty joke or a flash of skin - that gets streamed onto the internet) Mazda committed the same mistake with the blog.
In the first instance, it thought its TV ad could become a viral spot. In the second instance, it thought it could suffice as the main content of a blog. Viewers may begin to think that perhaps there's a creative director in Mazda's ad agency that has a bias toward canned video. It appears that in neither case did Mazda consider putting the vast resources required to create a well-produced video spot toward creating a well-produced online campaign. Or, if it did, it paid too much.
Posted by richard ting at October 22, 2004, 11:30 AM
October 21, 2004
Nissan Maxima Urban Meltdown
Starting today, the 2005 Maxima will be positioned in live street scenes that will create an effect of an urban meltdown, causing nearby objects -- such as street lamps, trash cans and parking meters -- to melt and droop. The Maxima will appear at prime locations in New York and Los Angeles, positioned beneath backdrops of large print ads that portray a burned, charred effect caused by the "hot" Maxima. In New York, heaters and glowing lights will be placed around the vehicles to enhance the ultra sensory effect.
Posted by richard ting at October 21, 2004, 01:34 AM
October 20, 2004
Aquos - Moretosee.com Campaign
If you've been watching any baseball lately on Fox Sports, you probably have seen the Aquos advertisements with URL placements leading users to moretosee.com. It's a Sharp integrated ad campaign that was developed by Weiden and Kennedy. The site content consists of tons of product info, but also has a few unique blogs from three different personas. It also seems like one big puzzle with, of course, your now ubiquitous faux content section in the form of a message board.
Posted by richard ting at October 20, 2004, 12:51 PM
October 19, 2004
Nintendo Game Handhelds
During the early 1980’s Gumpei Yokoi was asked to create a new toy for Nintendo which would result in the Game and Watch pocket systems. The small handhelds similar to the Tiger brand LCD games. The Game and Watch were a small pocket sized system that often folded in half to protect the LCD screen it contained and many popular games were created utilizing the Nintendo trademark figures such as Donkey Kong, Mario, and Zelda. Some systems, like Zelda, contained a double LCD screens. From this achievement, Yokoi also patented the Directional Pad or D-pad that Nintendo has used for many years. At the time of production for these small units, a joystick would be too difficult and clumsy to incorporate into a small system, so Yokoi, the great inventor created the D-pad, he called it ‘control cross’, which provided the most reasonable and accurate movements. The production line lasted from about 1980-1989 and produced about 60 or so different games. Two LR44 batteries are required for play. From my stand point, because of it’s historical significance, one can argue that a collection of Game and Watches (1 or more) could be counted as one system total, but this does not include the Tiger games. A series of three Game and Watch Galleries was released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color which include ‘generic’ Nintendo titles such as the Octopus game.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2004, 11:24 AM
Advertisers Will Triple Spending On Video Game Ads By 2008
[by Ross Fadner]
New figures from the Yankee Group claim the U.S. video games industry reaches more than 108 million gamers 13 years of age and older, who will have spent $7.4 billion by the end of the year. Advertisers have long wanted to penetrate the gaming market, but haven't yet been able to in any meaningful way. Despite the video games industry's size, advertisers only spent a meager $79 million on placing ads in games last year--a number the market research firm anticipates will grow to $260 million by 2008, according to the Yankee Group report.
Michael Goodman, senior analyst for the Yankee Group and author of the report "Marketers Look to Video Games to Drive Their Message Home," said that ad dollars have become "a very necessary revenue source" for game publishers as the cost of development for new games continues to rise.
Goodman pointed out that most games currently cost between $5 million and $15 million to produce, but that costs will increase as technology improves. Meanwhile, Goodman said that only 10 percent to 20 percent of games break even. "It's a hit-or-miss market," he said, adding that consumers will not be willing to spend more than the $50-per-game they are used to paying, so game developers will need to learn how to monetize their available inventory.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2004, 11:11 AM
October 15, 2004
RSS Feeds Hunger for More Ads
No online medium is safe from advertising anymore.
In recent weeks, more companies have started bringing advertising to RSS feeds, the popular platforms for aggregating content from multiple sites in a single place. In the past, RSS feeds have typically been free of ads.
By most accounts, companies, analysts and bloggers have reported little complaint from readers, noting that they can "vote with their feed" simply by unsubscribing.
Companies that are employing advertising in RSS include Topix.net, a news site; Moreover Technologies, a search-services company founded by mass blog publisher Nick Denton; Feedster, a news and blog syndication service; and Weblogs, the parent company of Engadget, a popular tech product blog.
Posted by richard ting at October 15, 2004, 12:32 PM
October 14, 2004
DJ Krush - Jaku
[from earplug]
For his eighth record, DJ Krush turns to his native Japan for inspiration, substituting shakuhachi flute and taiko drums for the quotidian MCs who have plagued his last few records. Krush had drifted away from the sublime instrumental work of his early records, but Jaku — Japanese for "peace and calm" — finds him merging the sum of his hip-hop experience with the cultural heritage of his native land. A delicate wooden-flute melody soars over the placid beats of "Still Island" like a breath of mist obscuring the horeline. "Univearth" sets Krush's downtempo beats against Tetsuro Naito's (lately of Kodo) sparse percussion and whistling flute in a spine-bending fusion of East and West. "Slit of Cloud," with Akira Sakata providing saxophone and Shinto lament, attempts to capture the electric majesty of a sun break on the slope of Mt. Fuji. Can you achieve satori through music? DJ Krush's Jaku certainly tries. (MT)
Posted by richard ting at October 14, 2004, 08:27 PM
BloodRayne 2: does sex sell videogames?
[By James Ransom-Wiley]
Majesco resorted to the oldest trick in the book when it came to publicizing its vampire-vixen sequel: sex sells. Yes, the boys (and girls too?) over at Majesco broke some serious boundaries while generating hype for BloodRayne 2. We’re talking digital boobies, Playboy: October issue. But if you’re anywhere half-way-interested in videogames, you already know that. You may have even spotted Rayne’s handiwork in the latest Evanescence video, appropriately titled, “Everybody’s Fool”. And so, as expected, BloodRayne 2 is simply the latest offering of style over substance. It’s a game plagued with bugs (of the programming sort) and mindless violence. But it sure is pretty, and the type of game that anyone can pick up and play. So, while it’s still a bit early to judge, we’re betting that BloodRayne 2 will sell. And that’s just the current state of the industry.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at October 14, 2004, 05:46 AM
Go see the Pokemon movie, get wireless downloads for your Nintendo DS
[by Dan Wu from Joystiq]
An interactive gimmick that’s definitely designed to get asses in seats, Nintendo says that you’ll be able to wirelessly download extra characters and data if you bring your new Nintendo DS portable game console along with a Gameboy Advance Pokemon title with you to the theater showing the new Pokemon movie that opens next summer (and by “you” we mean all of our gradeschool readers out there—we hope). Sounds like someone will be setting up a lot of wireless hubs, but the one thing we don’t know quite yet is whether they’ll be doing this in theaters anywhere besides Japan.
Posted by richard ting at October 14, 2004, 01:04 AM
October 13, 2004
Viral Marketing Manifesto Launched
Adrants reports the International Viral + Buzz Marketing Association has presented a viral marketing manifesto, which also summarizes the association's mission.
THE VIRAL MARKETING MANIFESTO
All members of the VBMA share the conviction that Viral Marketing, Buzz Marketing and Word-of-Mouth Marketing (and other related marketing approaches that harness network-enhanced word of mouth) are based on the principles outlined below, and that we work constantly on improving these marketing techniques:
1) We strive to
a) identify only those people who will be interested in a particular marketing message,
b) deliver the message to them in a way that makes it an enjoyable or valuable experience,
c) provide it in a manner that encourages them to share it with others.
We will therefore be providing a benefit to our audiences and their acquaintances and in so doing, to the brands for which we work.
Posted by richard ting at October 13, 2004, 02:12 AM
Moblogs, Mobots and Marketing
DEMOmobile conference highlights new technology and new opportunities for marketers. The hoopla that surrounds the opening of a trade show can be akin to the excitement you felt as a kid on Christmas morning. The glittering displays, the sparkling new products, the press cameras flashing all make you hope that somewhere in that pile of goodies and marketing ploys you'll find a pony.
No pony, but at this fall’s DEMOmobile conference in San Diego, Nokia and SixApart’s new partnership raced out of the gates like a thoroughbred. The two companies gave attendees a sneak-peek at “Moblogging,” the next generation of mobile marketing using imaging to power-up social networking, create instant communities and put a new face on blogging.
Take cell phone giant Nokia, add blogging tech-powerhouse Six Apart and the two equal a potential promotional jackpot for them, potential media buyers and sponsors seeking a real-time branding opportunity.
It’s also simple to use. With the phone-based application, you snap a picture, type in a short title and description on the keypad, and then transfer the image directly to a blog with a push of a button. No clumsy emailing required. Both the phone and PC version of Nokia’s Lifeblog software now work directly with Six Apart’s much-acclaimed TypePad to enable this next generation of moblogging.
“Several trends are converging, making it not only possible but also easy to document your life and share it with others, from anywhere” explains Barak Berkowitz, Six Apart’s CEO. He says that widespread camera phone usage, ubiquitous Internet access and the popularity of Web blogging make it easy for people to stay in touch no matter where they are.
Posted by richard ting at October 13, 2004, 02:04 AM
October 06, 2004
Nokia N-Gage Guerilla Campaign
http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/kallevee/
http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/tuomaskoo/
The two links above apparently belong to freshly launched guerilla marketing campaign for Nokia N-Gage. The pages are in Finnish only, but basically the plot goes like this.
The boys claim they have found a cd-rom from train which was labeled UNFINISHED MATERIAL. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY. The cd-rom contained seven Nokia N-Gage adverts. The two boys decided to "put them into internet" even though their father said they should not.
Posted by richard ting at October 06, 2004, 12:06 PM
October 02, 2004
Mobile gaming growing in Asia
According to IDC's latest report,"Asia/Pacific Wireless Gaming 2004-2008 Analysis and Forecast: Ready to Play?", the wireless gaming market in Asia/Pacific (ex Japan) reached US$237.4 million in 2003, and is expected to reach US$1.3 billion in 2008 with a 40% CAGR.
Korea accounted for approximately 73 % of the total wireless gaming revenues in 2003 in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan. This was due to the fact that the market in Korea is much more developed and the carriers' next generation networks have been in place much longer compared to other countries.
Posted by richard ting at October 02, 2004, 11:42 AM
October 01, 2004
Tokyo Game Show
The Tokyo Game Show opened yesterday — with all the usual fanfare — at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. Amid the pounding music, laser light shows and the 3G's (Games, Geeks and Girls), we found what has been one of the most highly anticipated product debuts of the season: Sony's new PlayStation Portable; the device is also Sony Entertainment's first step into the mobile gaming market. Today's program brings you close-up video of the PSP during its first public unveiling. (Subscribers will also get a hands-on look at a several new games for DoCoMo's F900i-series of handsets.)
Check out the Tokyo Game Show.
Posted by richard ting at October 01, 2004, 12:07 PM
Michael Vick Arcade Game Launch
Nike launches an arcade version of MV7 experience from nikegridiron.com.
