Everyone wants a Wii…. (including me)
December 31, 2008
Top Product searches (on Google) this holiday season
December 10, 2008
Apple – Netflix Smackdown continues: Netflix on TiVo now!
November 26, 2008
Early this year:
(a) DVD-by-mail service Netflix Inc. announced that it will begin delivering movies and other programming directly to televisions later this year through a set-top box.
(b) Apple introduced iTunes Movie Rentals, a new feature of the iTunes Store that enables users to download movies and watch them for a short time rather than having to buy them.
I will definitely prefer Netflix… Netflix player & Apple TV rivalry is a old news now, but I just learned that Netflix will be available on TiVo too! It seems Netflix is leaving no stone unturned to save its hard fought battle ground from the onslaught from Apple! (movie rentals on iTunes + Apple TV)
Netflix goes all out!
Netflix, the largest U.S. movie-rental service via mail, has been trying to boost subscribers by augmenting its by-mail offering with an expanded inventory of titles through its streaming service and partnering with component makers to allow the streamed content to be accessed directly from TV sets.
Netflix introduced its own set-top box called the Roku in May of this year, a $99 device that could stream content from subscribers’ accounts to the TV. The price is astonishingly affordable compared to similar options (the Apple TV still costs more than $200, for example). But my question here… Are people ready to add yet another box to their entertainment systems. The same question applies to the LG BD300 Blu-ray player with Netflix capabilities.
Post its marriage with Microsoft Xbox 360 sometime in July 08. Netflix on Oct 30, 2008 reached an agreement with TiVo allowing owners of TiVo digital video recorders to stream Netflix’s movies and TV episodes directly to their TVs, marking Netflix’s continued efforts to make its digital content available to TV watchers through various electronics components. The company (Netflix) has also announced agreements to carry video-streaming content from Liberty Media’s Starz movie channel, Walt Disney’s Disney Channel and CBS.
Netflix and TiVo, which first agreed to work together on content distribution four years ago, but today Netflix subscribers who own the TiVo Series3, HD, or HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix’s online streaming service.
This is how Netflix provides entertainment at your fingertips
This is great, post advancements in internet technology will be much more meaningful & entertaining! Great move by Netflix. TiVo & Netflix marriage finally!
On Apple-Netflix Rivalry (can Netflix win?) Here’s an excerpt from an article published on July 24, 2008 read full article here
…I’ve now learned that the accurate number of units sold is closer to 100,000. Considering the price point ($99) and the fact that the product’s marketing is very focused to a targeted audience, Roku’s penetration rate would be higher than the average product that has only been on the market for eight weeks. Plus, once you have the Roku box, the content is free.
At this rate, it will not take too long for the Roku box to outsell Apple (AAPL) TV. Apple TV has been on sale for 20 months now and based on published reports, has sold a bit less than 400,000 units. Roku has sold nearly a quarter of that in only 2 months time…
@ anishvshah
Microsoft to censor (undesired words) on Xbox.
October 22, 2008
What da ##@#….. %^@@@^%$$$ S**T…. looks like Xbox gamers will not be able to hear any of these s#*t anymore. Because, Microsoft has been granted a patent (filed in 2004) to filter and censor undesired words in real-time. The automatic system would process everything being said and alter the unwanted words so that they are, according to the patent, “either unintelligible or inaudible.”
I’ve marked ‘inaudible’ as the company is opting to either lower the volume below audibility, replacing the word with an acceptable word or phrase, or taking out the word completely.Thats good! because hearing “bleep” can be annoying if each & every obscene word is “bleeped” I am glad Microsoft understands this. Unlike TV networks (where delayed feeds allows some one to censor or ‘bleep out’ any offensive language), Microsoft’s proposed technology would make everything work in real-time – a practical solution when it comes to the many simultaneous conversations that take place in online multiplayer games.
I will wait to hear from the experts, how the parameters will be set. It will be interesting to learn how Microsoft will censor words that can be very creatively & obscenely used by some members of the community.
Though censoring is good, Microsoft will be on tight rope & maintain absolute balance between degree of censorship & potential pain for the gamers (company does’nt want to fend off gamers due to over control).
Obama billboard in Xbox 360!!!
October 15, 2008
Presidential candidate; Senator Barack Obama’s campaign has made incredible use of virtual media. Obama already has a group of followers on ‘Second Life’, He is connected to people through his website, all their campaign events have been streamed live on his site; they use Twitter to keep people informed about them. Recently the campaign launched an iPhone application ‘Obama 08’ – and they’re not done yet.
Barack Obama billboard on EA's "Burnout Paradise"
The Obama campaign is now advertising in a very popular video game for the Xbox 360. Obama campaign has bought ad space within video games including Electronic Arts’ “Burnout Paradise”. One in-game ad, seen on a virtual billboard in the racing game, informs gamers that “Early Voting Has Begun” for the election, and includes a link to an Obama website.
Electronic Arts confirmed to GameSpot (a very popular gaming site) that the ads have been appearing on virtual Obama billboards since October 6, and will continue to run until election day in November.
According to the Seattle Times, the ads were sold by Massive, a Microsoft-owned ad agency (Microsoft makes the X-box, for the non-gamers here). The ads are also highly targeted and are only visible to gamers in the battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The deal with Massive suggests that the ads are appearing in the following games: Burnout Paradise, Madden 09, Nascar 09, NBA Live 08, NFS Carbon, NFS Prostreet, NFL on Tour, NHL 09, Skate
In a report on GigaOM, Holly Rockwood, director of corporate communications at Electronic Arts, told GigaOM. She adds, “Like most television, radio and print outlets, we accept advertising from credible political candidates,” she continued. “Like political spots on the television networks, these ads do not reflect the political policies of EA or the opinions of its development teams.”
In my earlier post I spoke about Google leveraging this medium & future of in-game advertising, but for a political campaign to be savvy enough to realize this opportunity exists and take advantage of it is really impressive. To my knowledge, this Burnout ad is far and away the most prominent use of a major online game to promote a presidential candidate’s campaign.
Now that Obama has entered this periphery! I really believe that we will see more in-game advertising & effective use of virtual media in next presidential elections. However, the challenges in this periphery will be very game-specific: advertising message will have to blend with the game & avoid falling into those obviously loud marketing tactics. Last thing a gamer wants is, an intrusion of marketers in their me-my time with their hobby time. If the advertising message is communicated in a clever & non-intrusive manner, the message will be received positively.
