Love this image map tracking Apple from the 70's to 2009.
Monday, April 20, 2009
MOBILE NEWS: 5 stories you should now about
All the stories all linked.
The theme is the impact new platforms are having on the market, and reactions of companies to try to catch up or how they lead the way
Nokia, reporting a 90 per cent fall in profits for Q1 2009. (shame big fan of the N series for years very good phone, all though its iPhone all the way now for me)
Net profits reached €122m, heavily down on the €1.2bn in the same period in 2008.
Sales were also down, dropping 27 per cent from €12.7bn last year to €9.28bn. However, the results were not as bad as many had predicted, the result of which was an eight per cent increase to the company’s share price.
Samsung steps on to a new platform with Google Android handsets soon to be released S8000 will be sporting the exciting mobile OS.
Samsung is also believed to be planning a trio of Android devices.
Sony Ericsson confirm that it will be revealing more details on its Entertainment Unlimited service on May 28th.
The company has already confirmed that the Idou – its first Entertainment Unlimited handset – will be launched in the second half of this year. Entertainment Unlimited itself broadly unites Walkman music, Cyber-shot imaging and Java gaming, with messaging and other services/apps also in the mix.
It also allows consumers to share content through the TV, PC and wi-fi and syncs with web applications and PlayNow.
The company earlier confirmed a massive pre-tax loss for Q1 09, albeit in line with earlier forecasts, and swiftly embarked on a €400m cost savings drive that will see 2,000 more jobs go this year.
PSP platform opened up the store to encourage uptake with tomorrow's 5.50 firmware upgrade removing the need for a PlayStation Network account to browse the store.
As long as a wi-fi connection is at hand, any PSP user will now be able to check out the latest games, trailers and demos available to download on the machine.
The 5.50 update also allows for access to the PSN Information Board via the machine’s XMB interface.
DSi sells 435,000 units in first US week
In an official response to the NPD's March 2009 sales numbers, Nintendo revealed that the Nintendo DSi handheld - released April 5, has sold 435,000 units in North America in its first week.
This figure surpasses initial sales of the handheld's previous iteration, the Nintendo DS Lite, which sold 226,300 in its first week on the market.
NEWS: Tracking the tech and media markets
ALL THE STORIES LINK
European Release Date For HTC Magic Set At May 5th - "HTC's second Android handset looks as though it's been subjected to its last delay, with a listing for a May 5th release on Vodaphone UK's website.
Expect Google supported by T-mobile to push Android in the same direction as the iphone in terms of content delivery, make lots of apps, low cost and accessible. Question is can the others keep them from talking over.
TRIP HAWKINS TALKS iPHONE
I have cut through the waffle and highlighted the main points he made.....
'Trip' Hawkins III left Apple when he left in 1982 to form EA Arts which became the world's largest video game publisher. He left EA in the early '90s to form 3DO which, thanks to Sony and the Playstation, was a venture of rather less success.
Hawkins formed Digital Chocolate in 2003. The now 350 person company has developed on multiple ombile platforms and won numerous awards.
Four of the five iPhone games DC has released since December have hit No. 1 in the App Store
Hawkins quote "the iPhone presents a rare opportunity for Digital Chocolate and that it is really incomparable as a game platform to the myriad of mobile handsets on the market"
It’s by far our most effective platform. We make as much money with these games on one device as we do putting a game on 100 different cell phone platforms. Between the iPod Touch and the iPhone, I think the platform is freaking out Sony and Nintendo. Apple has sold 30 million units so far and it has created tremendous awareness. It has taken ground all over the world. But it has only penetrated one half of one percent of its total market.
Verizon Wireless 4G specifications for developers
Verizon Wireless released its initial set of technical specifications for devices that will run on its Long Term Evolution (LTE) fourth generation (4G) wireless network. The specifications are available for download at http://www.verizonwireless-opendevelopment.com
AT&T doubling 3G capacity
AT&T is in the process of doubling the capacity of its 3G networks, using software enhancements to squeeze one last boost in bandwidth from its current generation networks before it begins its migration to evolved 3G and eventually 4G. AT&T is increasing the downlink capacity on its high-speed packet access (HSPA) from 3.6 megabits per second to 7.2 Mb/s through software upgrades at the base station, said Scott McElroy, AT&T Mobility vice president of technology realization.
Internet Ad Spending Increase Stands Alone in 2009 Forecast (click for full story)
current ad expenditure forecasts predict a steeper decline in North America and Western Europe, with all regions joining in the general decline. The report forecasts global ad expenditure to shrink by 6.9% over the course of 2009.
Entering Q2, 2009 says the report, there is limited long-term visibility in the market as most advertisers wait until the last moment to confirm their spending commitments. Many are treating advertising as a discretionary expense, and one they find convenient to cut. Unprecedented economic problems and events affecting the predicted 6.9% decline in global ad expenditure in 2009 include:
* Lack of quadrennial events (Olympics, elections) creates tough year-on-year comparisons for markets like the US
* Poor corporate confidence means very limited visibility in the market
* Consumers are putting off big purchases and shifting consumption from premium to value products, opening opportunities for advertisers with value to offer
* Consumers are spending more time at home, consuming more media, particularly television and the internet
* Search is driving internet growth as consumers use it to find bargains
Here is WHY!
Ad expenditure correlates strongly with corporate profits, acknowledges the stuey, and the ad market is unlikely to start its recovery until profits start to pick up again. The current barriers to recovery include lack of trust in the credit markets, and low confidence in prospects for short-term growth. In addition:
* Consumers are spending less, saving more, and spending more time at home. (great for the games industry)
Consumers are putting off the purchase of big ticket items and shifting their consumption habits from premium products to budget brands
* In the retail sector premium stores are bringing in value lines and advertising their presence
* In the finance category, corporate advertising has fallen off quite sharply, but consumers' increased appetite for saving and risk aversion means that savings accounts and certain types of insurance are still growing
* Spending by CPG advertisers has generally held up well; There has been a clear shift from premium to value products as companies respond to consumer demand
* The automotive industry is suffering from long-term problems that the downturn has exposed and exacerbated, but not caused. Regulations, high labor costs and other structural problems left auto manufacturers with very thin margins. In France and Germany, however, government incentives have led to increased sales in the short term, and increased automotive advertising. Smaller, generally foreign, brands have managed to gain market share by promoting their value proposition
* Businesses have cut back their travel expenses, causing a large drop in premium traffic for airlines. But leisure travel is still popular to countries where exchange rates now look very favorable to consumers spending in euros or US dollars. Airline advertising to consumers is still active in markets with strong exchange rates
The strategists at Take-Two have a problem on their hands. They made the best-reviewed game ever for the Nintendo DS. And no one seems to care.
There's a major disconnect here. Take-Two's "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars," the newest game in the franchise, was released a month ago for the Nintendo DS. According to numbers released yesterday, the game sold under 90,000 units. For anyone unaware of the nuances of game sales figures, let me translate: the game flopped. Big-time.
What's interesting has been the commentary about why it's flopped. Most are saying it was remiss to release a "GTA" game on a platform primarily targeted at children. However, I'm not so sure I agree. The sheer numbers of DS systems out there suggest at least a few million. If only 20% of the Nintendo DS audience consisted of "core" gamers, that's still an audience of over six million in the U.S. I think the central issue is one of conflicting brands.
Sun Microsystems directors have approved Oracle Corporation’s bid of $7.4 billion ($9.50 a share) or $5.6 billion after including debt.
I.B.M. recently concluded talks with Sun after I.B.M. lowered it’s offer from $10 to $9.40 a share.
Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison said in a statement:
“The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system – applications to disk – where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.”
The company added that the acquisition of Java “is the most important software Oracle has ever acquired.”
federal broadband stimulus program is already churning up activity among lower-tier carriers that had previously fallen into malaise, according to Adtran, the access equipment vendor that reported first-quarter earnings exceeding Wall Street expectations today.
On an earnings call this morning, Adtran Chief Executive Officer Tom Stanton reported seeing a “change in tone” among tier-two and tier-three carriers attributable to anticipation over broadband stimulus funds. “The amount of activity in that space has gone up dramatically,” Stanton said. “I’m not saying orders. I’m saying planning.”
Initially the passage of broadband stimulus legislation put a chill on the market as carriers mulled how their existing and future plans could be affected by the program. “That’s easing to some extent,” Stanton said. “Every month it gets better.” When the government further clarifies the terms and criteria it will use to award funding, he added, activity should increase further.
IPTV looking robust, wards off expected nosedive
Published Wednesday, April 15, 2009
More than 35 new IPTV operations began trials or deployment across the globe in the past six months, suggesting opportunity in the market despite the economic downturn and rise of alternative options for video. Only two trials took place in North America, with the majority occurring in emerging markets, but the US has done better than originally expected, according to Gary Schultz, chief executive officer of analyst firm Multimedia Research Group. MRG actually had to increase its forecast for global IPTV subscriber growth, which it had lowered back in August when it last published ..
TOYS, APPAREL, VIDEO GAMES AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DROVE SALES FOR KIDS DURING 2008 HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON
2008 Bucked Traditional Shopping Trends as Black Friday Week Generated only 15 Percent of Total Holiday Sales
PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, April 07, 2009 – According to Spotlight on Kids: Understanding Cross-Category Purchasing, the most recent report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, products within the toys, apparel, video games and consumer electronics categories were the most sought after for kids during the five weeks leading up to the 2008 holiday season.
Teens Are Changing How They Interact With Music
U.S. Teens Listening to More Music in More Formats, but Buying and Sharing Less
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., March 31, 2009 –According to The NPD Group, a leader in market research for the entertainment industry, teens (age 13 to 17) acquired 19 percent less music in 2008 than they did in 2007. CD purchasing declined 26 percent and paid digital downloads fell 13 percent compared with the prior year. In the case of paid digital downloads, 32 percent of teens purchasing less digital music expressed discontent with the music that was available for purchase, while 23 percent claimed to already have a suitable collection of digital music. Twenty-four percent of teens also cited cutbacks in overall entertainment spending as a reason for buying fewer downloads.
The downturn in paid music acquisition was matched by a downturn in the quantity of tracks downloaded from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, which fell 6 percent in 2008. The number of teens borrowing music, either to rip to a computer or burn to a CD, fell by 28 percent.
”While we expected to see the continued decline in CD purchasing among teens in NPD’s music tracking surveys, it was surprising to see that fewer teens downloaded music from P2P sites or borrowed them from friends,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “These declines could be happening due to a lack of excitement among teens about the music available, but it could also reflect a larger shift in the ways teens interact with music, given that so much music is now available whenever and wherever they want it.”
European Release Date For HTC Magic Set At May 5th - "HTC's second Android handset looks as though it's been subjected to its last delay, with a listing for a May 5th release on Vodaphone UK's website.
Expect Google supported by T-mobile to push Android in the same direction as the iphone in terms of content delivery, make lots of apps, low cost and accessible. Question is can the others keep them from talking over.
TRIP HAWKINS TALKS iPHONE
I have cut through the waffle and highlighted the main points he made.....
'Trip' Hawkins III left Apple when he left in 1982 to form EA Arts which became the world's largest video game publisher. He left EA in the early '90s to form 3DO which, thanks to Sony and the Playstation, was a venture of rather less success.
Hawkins formed Digital Chocolate in 2003. The now 350 person company has developed on multiple ombile platforms and won numerous awards.
Four of the five iPhone games DC has released since December have hit No. 1 in the App Store
Hawkins quote "the iPhone presents a rare opportunity for Digital Chocolate and that it is really incomparable as a game platform to the myriad of mobile handsets on the market"
It’s by far our most effective platform. We make as much money with these games on one device as we do putting a game on 100 different cell phone platforms. Between the iPod Touch and the iPhone, I think the platform is freaking out Sony and Nintendo. Apple has sold 30 million units so far and it has created tremendous awareness. It has taken ground all over the world. But it has only penetrated one half of one percent of its total market.
Verizon Wireless 4G specifications for developers
Verizon Wireless released its initial set of technical specifications for devices that will run on its Long Term Evolution (LTE) fourth generation (4G) wireless network. The specifications are available for download at http://www.verizonwireless-opendevelopment.com
AT&T doubling 3G capacity
AT&T is in the process of doubling the capacity of its 3G networks, using software enhancements to squeeze one last boost in bandwidth from its current generation networks before it begins its migration to evolved 3G and eventually 4G. AT&T is increasing the downlink capacity on its high-speed packet access (HSPA) from 3.6 megabits per second to 7.2 Mb/s through software upgrades at the base station, said Scott McElroy, AT&T Mobility vice president of technology realization.
Internet Ad Spending Increase Stands Alone in 2009 Forecast (click for full story)
current ad expenditure forecasts predict a steeper decline in North America and Western Europe, with all regions joining in the general decline. The report forecasts global ad expenditure to shrink by 6.9% over the course of 2009.
Entering Q2, 2009 says the report, there is limited long-term visibility in the market as most advertisers wait until the last moment to confirm their spending commitments. Many are treating advertising as a discretionary expense, and one they find convenient to cut. Unprecedented economic problems and events affecting the predicted 6.9% decline in global ad expenditure in 2009 include:
* Lack of quadrennial events (Olympics, elections) creates tough year-on-year comparisons for markets like the US
* Poor corporate confidence means very limited visibility in the market
* Consumers are putting off big purchases and shifting consumption from premium to value products, opening opportunities for advertisers with value to offer
* Consumers are spending more time at home, consuming more media, particularly television and the internet
* Search is driving internet growth as consumers use it to find bargains
Here is WHY!
Ad expenditure correlates strongly with corporate profits, acknowledges the stuey, and the ad market is unlikely to start its recovery until profits start to pick up again. The current barriers to recovery include lack of trust in the credit markets, and low confidence in prospects for short-term growth. In addition:
* Consumers are spending less, saving more, and spending more time at home. (great for the games industry)
Consumers are putting off the purchase of big ticket items and shifting their consumption habits from premium products to budget brands
* In the retail sector premium stores are bringing in value lines and advertising their presence
* In the finance category, corporate advertising has fallen off quite sharply, but consumers' increased appetite for saving and risk aversion means that savings accounts and certain types of insurance are still growing
* Spending by CPG advertisers has generally held up well; There has been a clear shift from premium to value products as companies respond to consumer demand
* The automotive industry is suffering from long-term problems that the downturn has exposed and exacerbated, but not caused. Regulations, high labor costs and other structural problems left auto manufacturers with very thin margins. In France and Germany, however, government incentives have led to increased sales in the short term, and increased automotive advertising. Smaller, generally foreign, brands have managed to gain market share by promoting their value proposition
* Businesses have cut back their travel expenses, causing a large drop in premium traffic for airlines. But leisure travel is still popular to countries where exchange rates now look very favorable to consumers spending in euros or US dollars. Airline advertising to consumers is still active in markets with strong exchange rates
The strategists at Take-Two have a problem on their hands. They made the best-reviewed game ever for the Nintendo DS. And no one seems to care.
There's a major disconnect here. Take-Two's "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars," the newest game in the franchise, was released a month ago for the Nintendo DS. According to numbers released yesterday, the game sold under 90,000 units. For anyone unaware of the nuances of game sales figures, let me translate: the game flopped. Big-time.
What's interesting has been the commentary about why it's flopped. Most are saying it was remiss to release a "GTA" game on a platform primarily targeted at children. However, I'm not so sure I agree. The sheer numbers of DS systems out there suggest at least a few million. If only 20% of the Nintendo DS audience consisted of "core" gamers, that's still an audience of over six million in the U.S. I think the central issue is one of conflicting brands.
Sun Microsystems directors have approved Oracle Corporation’s bid of $7.4 billion ($9.50 a share) or $5.6 billion after including debt.
I.B.M. recently concluded talks with Sun after I.B.M. lowered it’s offer from $10 to $9.40 a share.
Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison said in a statement:
“The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system – applications to disk – where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.”
The company added that the acquisition of Java “is the most important software Oracle has ever acquired.”
federal broadband stimulus program is already churning up activity among lower-tier carriers that had previously fallen into malaise, according to Adtran, the access equipment vendor that reported first-quarter earnings exceeding Wall Street expectations today.
On an earnings call this morning, Adtran Chief Executive Officer Tom Stanton reported seeing a “change in tone” among tier-two and tier-three carriers attributable to anticipation over broadband stimulus funds. “The amount of activity in that space has gone up dramatically,” Stanton said. “I’m not saying orders. I’m saying planning.”
Initially the passage of broadband stimulus legislation put a chill on the market as carriers mulled how their existing and future plans could be affected by the program. “That’s easing to some extent,” Stanton said. “Every month it gets better.” When the government further clarifies the terms and criteria it will use to award funding, he added, activity should increase further.
IPTV looking robust, wards off expected nosedive
Published Wednesday, April 15, 2009
More than 35 new IPTV operations began trials or deployment across the globe in the past six months, suggesting opportunity in the market despite the economic downturn and rise of alternative options for video. Only two trials took place in North America, with the majority occurring in emerging markets, but the US has done better than originally expected, according to Gary Schultz, chief executive officer of analyst firm Multimedia Research Group. MRG actually had to increase its forecast for global IPTV subscriber growth, which it had lowered back in August when it last published ..
TOYS, APPAREL, VIDEO GAMES AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DROVE SALES FOR KIDS DURING 2008 HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON
2008 Bucked Traditional Shopping Trends as Black Friday Week Generated only 15 Percent of Total Holiday Sales
PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, April 07, 2009 – According to Spotlight on Kids: Understanding Cross-Category Purchasing, the most recent report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, products within the toys, apparel, video games and consumer electronics categories were the most sought after for kids during the five weeks leading up to the 2008 holiday season.
Teens Are Changing How They Interact With Music
U.S. Teens Listening to More Music in More Formats, but Buying and Sharing Less
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., March 31, 2009 –According to The NPD Group, a leader in market research for the entertainment industry, teens (age 13 to 17) acquired 19 percent less music in 2008 than they did in 2007. CD purchasing declined 26 percent and paid digital downloads fell 13 percent compared with the prior year. In the case of paid digital downloads, 32 percent of teens purchasing less digital music expressed discontent with the music that was available for purchase, while 23 percent claimed to already have a suitable collection of digital music. Twenty-four percent of teens also cited cutbacks in overall entertainment spending as a reason for buying fewer downloads.
The downturn in paid music acquisition was matched by a downturn in the quantity of tracks downloaded from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, which fell 6 percent in 2008. The number of teens borrowing music, either to rip to a computer or burn to a CD, fell by 28 percent.
”While we expected to see the continued decline in CD purchasing among teens in NPD’s music tracking surveys, it was surprising to see that fewer teens downloaded music from P2P sites or borrowed them from friends,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “These declines could be happening due to a lack of excitement among teens about the music available, but it could also reflect a larger shift in the ways teens interact with music, given that so much music is now available whenever and wherever they want it.”
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
INVESTMENT: The latest news
Cool Iris get 15 million ( I recently wrote about how I love the app and I see great things happening for them)
Social Cast $1 million, could turn out to be a dead donkey....but we shall see
E-toro Series b $6.3 million, its a game, a fun easy to use currency trading game, however you can do it for real and you can make money doing it.
This shows how excited the world is about MMO's and Virtual currency, this probably has a lot to do with the fact that the Asian market is worth billions.
Today Chinese online gaming company Changyou opened trading on the NASDAQ market after a successful $16 million public offering of 7.5 million shares priced at $16 each. Share price rose 40% to $22 in initial trading, with 3 million Changyou shares traded in the first ten minutes of the day. Changyou operates two MMORPGs in mainland China that monetize through virtual goods sales, netting a $201.8 million revenue and $108 million net profit for 2008. Changyou is the first new company to be listed on the NASDAQ since last November and the first Chinese company added renewable energy firm GT Solar International in August 2008.
Social Cast $1 million, could turn out to be a dead donkey....but we shall see
E-toro Series b $6.3 million, its a game, a fun easy to use currency trading game, however you can do it for real and you can make money doing it.
This shows how excited the world is about MMO's and Virtual currency, this probably has a lot to do with the fact that the Asian market is worth billions.
Today Chinese online gaming company Changyou opened trading on the NASDAQ market after a successful $16 million public offering of 7.5 million shares priced at $16 each. Share price rose 40% to $22 in initial trading, with 3 million Changyou shares traded in the first ten minutes of the day. Changyou operates two MMORPGs in mainland China that monetize through virtual goods sales, netting a $201.8 million revenue and $108 million net profit for 2008. Changyou is the first new company to be listed on the NASDAQ since last November and the first Chinese company added renewable energy firm GT Solar International in August 2008.
CHARTS: The Top TENS
Casual Games
1=The Enchanting Islands
2=Annie's Millions
3=DQ Tycoon
4=Flux Family Secrets: The Ripple Effect
5=Fishdom
6=Alabama Smith: Escape from Pompeii
7=Risk II
8=Supermarket Mania
9=Bubbletown
10=Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox
Social Games
iPhone Apps Top selling this week
1.Flight Control
2.Bowman
3.Who has the Biggest Brain
4.Flick Fishing
5.Solitaire
6.Virtual Pool
7.Parking LOT
8.Cricket Game
9.Lets Golf
10.Monopoly Here and Now
1=The Enchanting Islands
2=Annie's Millions
3=DQ Tycoon
4=Flux Family Secrets: The Ripple Effect
5=Fishdom
6=Alabama Smith: Escape from Pompeii
7=Risk II
8=Supermarket Mania
9=Bubbletown
10=Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox
Social Games
iPhone Apps Top selling this week
1.Flight Control
2.Bowman
3.Who has the Biggest Brain
4.Flick Fishing
5.Solitaire
6.Virtual Pool
7.Parking LOT
8.Cricket Game
9.Lets Golf
10.Monopoly Here and Now
TECHNOLOGY : ONLIVE the roundup
I want to thank all the people who contributed from, Linked in, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
In summary people don't think it will kill the console, we all just believe that its great PR and that this technology once stable will become a very strong option in the years to come. Onlive wont be the replacement for the console (big 3) but more a facilitator/instigator of progress in this field, responsible for pushing the on-demand service to the next level. I hope if its as good as they say they do well and reap some rewards for their work.
In summary people don't think it will kill the console, we all just believe that its great PR and that this technology once stable will become a very strong option in the years to come. Onlive wont be the replacement for the console (big 3) but more a facilitator/instigator of progress in this field, responsible for pushing the on-demand service to the next level. I hope if its as good as they say they do well and reap some rewards for their work.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
TECHNOLOGY : Incredible touch demo from Illusion Labs
Like touch games, watch this video. Its possible that this type of gaming will help rejuvenate arcades, or at create a new culture of gaming in venues that would not normally having gaming machines. Due to the touch technology there is a mass appeal to ttable tops and they could find there way into locations across the globe.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
TECHNOLOGY : ONLIVE may never make it ?
Why ON-LIVE will not be a console killer.
Don't get me wrong I am all for progress and service, how ever I'm not sure they even believe they can do it.
After giving this some thought and going over some basics here is my view on this topic
1.Realistically the technology wont be available and ready for the masses till 2012 to 2015. You can read about this all over the web.
They plan to start in the US and what will happen is you get the early adopters going through the pain barriers and as long as the game play is not interrupted more than once may be just may be people will accept it.
But remember game play can not be interrupted, How many times does You Tube or other low quality stream slow down or stop on your PC. I am sure the demos worked amazing and they planned well for that at GDC....but wait till you have several hundred thousand people all wanting the same game at a very slightly different time.
So assuming that some people do stick with the service and they grow slowly they will not be making any money and will require more and more funding. They got around $12 million in 2007 for a second round.
2. The investment is pure speculation
So investors and future VC's will speculate based on the management background and the chance of this delivering a huge pay off....and that they could get control of or a big chunk of control of the video game industry right? Wrong they may at best get a share of the market. But this is where I don't think they are really interested, my gut tells me they are trying to convince people they have the best compression technology and hope that a huge company buys the IP for a tonne of cash.
3. Are you forgetting those other small companies in the industry?
Yes little Microsoft, quite shy Nintendo and that big sissy Sony......do you really think they will lie down and just give up and say yes you win....we don't care about the billions we invested in making this industry happen.....
Not a chance, here is what could happen.....all of the above companies launch similar services or HYBRIDS of the service like PS3 lite or XBOX lite (Microsoft already sells a lite version for XBLA) So part processing happens on line and the rest in home.
And or the Hardware just gets cheaper and cheaper......(historically this is what happens and is happening)
All of these companies have massive installed base across USA, Europe & Japan. As for Asia they don't have the bandwidth yet so forget Onlive for China's or India for the next 2 to 3 years.
4. The installed PC base
Who are your customers? well the ones with a PC or a TV who want to play high quality games. I am going to assume that people who invested in consoles are not the target. Also I would question if the PC owners who have great or decent spec machine at home and play games are the target either.
So are you after the 85 million online gamers in the USA from 2008 (stats provided by comscore) Then you need to take into account the number of women in that figure was around 45 to 48 % and then take into account age demographics and your target audience is reduced further.
My guess is they will also try to leverage deals with the cable providers and try to get into peoples homes through the TV.
Good idea? progress right. Sure choice is great.
Ok high quality games require high quality peripherals so if you play on the TV and want to compete with the consoles you will need:
Rockband Kit
Microphones
Dance Mat
Driving Wheel
Wii type contoller
Guitar
So all of a sudden we are in the family home and the choice is streaming games with no peripherals, less game choices or by a Wii or play the one we have. fun of what the above can provide. Hummm (please tell me If I got this wrong and you can just plug in to a port on the
5.NO exclusive content....
its nothing new just a new distribution method. Its not like they have Little big planet, GTA or Crash Bandicoute or Matrix or some amazing game to launch this service they just offer the same.
6. The future of gaming
Its all about how you can enhance your experience through community and better peripherals making controlling a game easier, expanding choice of titles (like casual)and all the big companies are way along with this process in addition to that they are offering better distribution models, Episodic content etc.....
If Onlive truly have amazing technology they will end up selling it or becoming like DOLBY and licensing it. They will not lead the games industry or have any chance of killing off the others.
I do believe in this technology and cloud computing will become the norm but at very best Onlive will sit way behind the others , but I can not see them making it as a replacement for PS3, XBLA or Nintendo.
Love to hear your thoughts please comment....
Here is some good reading
Onlive was a dumb investment
Dave Perry s take on things
Console sales data
Venture Beat
Venture beat ( read all the postings at the bottom of the page)
Crytek story
CAST YOUR VOTE ON LINKEDIN
Don't get me wrong I am all for progress and service, how ever I'm not sure they even believe they can do it.
After giving this some thought and going over some basics here is my view on this topic
1.Realistically the technology wont be available and ready for the masses till 2012 to 2015. You can read about this all over the web.
They plan to start in the US and what will happen is you get the early adopters going through the pain barriers and as long as the game play is not interrupted more than once may be just may be people will accept it.
But remember game play can not be interrupted, How many times does You Tube or other low quality stream slow down or stop on your PC. I am sure the demos worked amazing and they planned well for that at GDC....but wait till you have several hundred thousand people all wanting the same game at a very slightly different time.
So assuming that some people do stick with the service and they grow slowly they will not be making any money and will require more and more funding. They got around $12 million in 2007 for a second round.
2. The investment is pure speculation
So investors and future VC's will speculate based on the management background and the chance of this delivering a huge pay off....and that they could get control of or a big chunk of control of the video game industry right? Wrong they may at best get a share of the market. But this is where I don't think they are really interested, my gut tells me they are trying to convince people they have the best compression technology and hope that a huge company buys the IP for a tonne of cash.
3. Are you forgetting those other small companies in the industry?
Yes little Microsoft, quite shy Nintendo and that big sissy Sony......do you really think they will lie down and just give up and say yes you win....we don't care about the billions we invested in making this industry happen.....
Not a chance, here is what could happen.....all of the above companies launch similar services or HYBRIDS of the service like PS3 lite or XBOX lite (Microsoft already sells a lite version for XBLA) So part processing happens on line and the rest in home.
And or the Hardware just gets cheaper and cheaper......(historically this is what happens and is happening)
All of these companies have massive installed base across USA, Europe & Japan. As for Asia they don't have the bandwidth yet so forget Onlive for China's or India for the next 2 to 3 years.
4. The installed PC base
Who are your customers? well the ones with a PC or a TV who want to play high quality games. I am going to assume that people who invested in consoles are not the target. Also I would question if the PC owners who have great or decent spec machine at home and play games are the target either.
So are you after the 85 million online gamers in the USA from 2008 (stats provided by comscore) Then you need to take into account the number of women in that figure was around 45 to 48 % and then take into account age demographics and your target audience is reduced further.
My guess is they will also try to leverage deals with the cable providers and try to get into peoples homes through the TV.
Good idea? progress right. Sure choice is great.
Ok high quality games require high quality peripherals so if you play on the TV and want to compete with the consoles you will need:
Rockband Kit
Microphones
Dance Mat
Driving Wheel
Wii type contoller
Guitar
So all of a sudden we are in the family home and the choice is streaming games with no peripherals, less game choices or by a Wii or play the one we have. fun of what the above can provide. Hummm (please tell me If I got this wrong and you can just plug in to a port on the
5.NO exclusive content....
its nothing new just a new distribution method. Its not like they have Little big planet, GTA or Crash Bandicoute or Matrix or some amazing game to launch this service they just offer the same.
6. The future of gaming
Its all about how you can enhance your experience through community and better peripherals making controlling a game easier, expanding choice of titles (like casual)and all the big companies are way along with this process in addition to that they are offering better distribution models, Episodic content etc.....
If Onlive truly have amazing technology they will end up selling it or becoming like DOLBY and licensing it. They will not lead the games industry or have any chance of killing off the others.
I do believe in this technology and cloud computing will become the norm but at very best Onlive will sit way behind the others , but I can not see them making it as a replacement for PS3, XBLA or Nintendo.
Love to hear your thoughts please comment....
Here is some good reading
Onlive was a dumb investment
Dave Perry s take on things
Console sales data
Venture Beat
Venture beat ( read all the postings at the bottom of the page)
Crytek story
CAST YOUR VOTE ON LINKEDIN
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
TECHNOLOGY : TOP BROWSER ADD ONS
NEWS: Google Yahoo & Microsoft block April Fools
In a strange move Google Yahoo, Microsoft and others invloved in the semantic web program have tried to block April fools from reaching the web in fear it will corrupt the developing semantic web Google say jokes could set them back a year.
"All the misinformation and lies on the internet could cause a big problem for semantics"
The Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.
See here
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