Tag Archive: XBOX

10 Things I Think I Think

Peter King is easily one of my favorite sports writers. His Monday Morning Quarterback column is simply some of the best writing out there. Perhaps the best part of his column is a section called 10 Things I Think I Think.

He’s been on vacation the past few weeks, leaving Monday Morning Quarterback in the hands of guest writers. They’ve all taken their crack at filling the void, but none have really nailed it.

With that in mind, I got the inspiration earlier this week to write my own 10 Things I Think I Think column. So hear it goes…

  1. I think I’m ok with TechCrunch posting all the “secret” and “confidential” documents. TechCrunch is only slightly above the National Enquirer, so it’s not like they have journalistic integrity. Their decision to post didn’t surprise me and the voyeur in me was fascinated to see the inner workings of a company clearly struggling with their own success.  I also think it was nice to see the folks at twitter realize they weren’t gods.  Sometimes you just need to be knocked down a peg or two.
  2. I think Google is the ultimate frenemy. You need them to succeed, but you clearly don’t trust them. I think this distrust of Google is exactly why twitter decided to partner with Microsoft to create Bing Tweets even though Google would have given them even more exposure.
  3. I think I’m just not all that interested with Posterous.  It could just be that I’m stubborn, but I don’t see the value in the platform over what WordPress, tumblr, etc. already offer.
  4. I think the best aspect of the social web is that it’s helped me meet new people in person. Through twitter alone, I’ve made 6 new “real” connections. These are people that I now call upon for advice or just to talk shop. That’s the real power of social media. It’s not the technology and the platforms; it’s the people.
  5. I think in the next 3 years, we’re going to see a quantum shift in the cell phone business. Consumers will be able to buy their phone and then be able to use it with any service provider they choose. This will change the face of mobile in the United States and force service providers to rethink their business model.
  6. I think expectations are a good thing, but ridiculous expectations are completely silly.
  7. I think the term “partnership” is overused and generally misunderstood. True partnership means more than 1 person/team/company/etc. working together for the greater good. It means give and take is expected. It means you look out not only for your own interests, but also the interests of your partners.
  8. I think the whole green movement is a fad and that when put to a choice between a green product that costs 40% more than a non-green product, the non-green product will always win with consumers. When I was looking at houses in Minnesota, I explored so called green houses. The concept was cool and the payout was supposed to be fantastic because of how energy efficient they were. Sure, they are…but they also cost nearly 60% more than a non-green house and the payback happens after roughly 15 years of being in the house. Not exactly what I’d call an exciting return on investment.
  9. I think as video game systems advance, I’m finding them less exciting. The wii doesn’t do it for me and if Microsoft is serious about the next generation in gaming being a controller free world, I’m done with gaming.
  10. I think I’d rather work with passionate people that want to be better than smart people who are devoid of emotion. It’s not even a question.

I enjoy writing. I enjoy sharing my thoughts. The self publishing capabilities that have launched in the last 3 years have made my life infinitely easier and brought me closer to all of you out there. That’s the beauty of an always on, easily connectable, and simple to use internet. I think I’m really thankful for that.

Will Advertisers Influence The Quality Of Video Games?

I like video games. They’re a release for me. I really enjoy sports game. Be it Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, or Golf (no Soccer) – I play sports games. Over the past 3 years I’ve noticed two trends:

  1.  Sports games are getting worse
  2. Advertisers are spending more money on in-game advertising

I picked up MLB 2K9 this year, despite a sub par review from IGN. My choices were limited because 2K Sports, the manufacturer of the game, has an exclusive agreement with Major League Baseball. Essentially, if you wanted to play a baseball game this year on the XBOX 360, they were the only choice.

To put it mildly, the game is a disappointment. It doesn’t even meet the basic expectations I had. The one thing that did impress me was the amount of integration Pepsi had in the game. As you can see from this screen shot they are, well, everywhere.

This got me thinking. Television networks price costs for 15/30/60/etc. second spots based on the show. Better shows, that attract more viewers, cost more. This chart does a nice job of showing how this has played out over time.

In some way, the advertiser (in this case Pepsi) is banking on the show being good. If the show explodes, they make out ahead. If the show tanks they lose. So that all makes sense. Let’s take it a step further. When a brand does a sponsorship of a show they are taking a larger risk and on some level engaging in a partnership with the show. The show now has an obligation to the advertiser to deliver the goods. On many levels this is exactly what it’s like for in-game advertising. Pepsi’s sponsorship of the game (that’s really what it is) is a partnership between some combination of Pepsi, Microsoft (XBOX manufacturer), and 2K Sports.

If you’re Pepsi, do you really want to be associated with a game as bad as MLB 2K9? A game that even die hard fans are saying sucks. There words, not mine. Of course not. You want to be associated with with things that are analogous to your company, image, and audience. If I’m Pepsi, I’d be asking for a make good on the ad space. I don’t even know if that exists in the in-game advertising space.

Thanks for hanging in this long. So what’s the point? Simple. Will advertisers have a say in the final quality of video games? Will they be able to demand, on some level, a game that meets the expectations of the fan base? After all if the games continue to be garbage, no one will buy them, which screws up the whole in-game advertising circle of love. No one makes money. No one connects with their consumer. Nobody wins.

If in-game advertising continues to increase (eMarketer says it’s on the massive upswing) game manufacturers will have even more pressure to deliver and quality product. That spells good news to the consumer. The real question, is how long it will take for this to happen. My guess is within the next 3 years.

About
Head of Social Media at Walgreens. Interactive marketer, innovator, boat rocker, continuous learner, movie lover, risk taker, dad and all around good guy. I'm always up for a spirited conversation. These are my thoughts and ramblings, not those of my employer.
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