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Looking to the Future for PSN

Jimmy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:50:08 +0000

Many people may not of heard of Sony’s online streaming service “Sony Entertainment Network”, or SEN for short, which is a shame as it offers subscribers the chance to stream video games, music, films, and e-books. This service is not to be confused with the more popular PlayStation Network or PSN which is an integral part of Sony’s flagship console Playstation 3. Sony Entertainment Network was launched in 2010 under the name Qriocity, but in an attempt to make the service more popular was rebranded.

In a move that has surprised some, it seems that Sony is looking to promote SEN by absorbing PSN completely and creating once network combining the features of both services. This will be implemented on February 8th and will include Sony’s latest console, the Playstation Vita. So what does this mean for the eagerly awaited PS4? The yet to be announced console will also benefit from the same features that await the PS Vita. As well as the gaming services provided by PSN, gamers will have access to Sony’s other products; Music Unlimited, PlayStation Store Video, and PlayMemories Online.

It is clear that Sony want to create a comprehensive cross platform network for all of their media. This list will include not only gaming consoles but also Sony’s BRAVIA television sets. By using the enormous user base of PSN to bolster the users of SEN, Sony are clearly on a winning marketing strategy.

TwinKomplex: Reinventing The Social Game

Jimmy — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:25:52 +0000

Social games are popular because they are just like big PS3 or XBox 360 Videogames a lot of fun. Through them, you get to elicit the help of friends. The games themselves are embedded within the pages of a social networking site. So, social games are very successful. However, they are also not particularly creative. I mean, have you noticed how many of them are so similar to each other. There would be a group of cooking games, farming games, and fashion games for example.

If you still want some creativity in your social game, you may want to check out TwinKomplex. A lot has been invested into this game. Not just time and creativity but also one million euros. The game has also been available for more than a year now. It was created in Berlin by Dr. Martin Burkchardt, who is a virtual economy expert. The company Ludic Philosophy was also responsible for the game. 22 artists are working on it and five authors write the complex plot. No wonder the social game is considered creative.

In TwinKomplex, the player starts off as a secret service member with a mission to solve a case with a group of three other players whom he or she does not know. A group has four players and each group will receive a set of clues. The outcomes can vary depending on the clues they get. So plots vary depending on the combination of clues and outcomes. The players go through their mission with the help of videos, reading materials, and even a complex personality test.

So are you interested in taking part in TwinKomplex? It is definitely a whole lot more creative than the other social games you know but it, being a social game itself, is still debatable.

The Future – Now!

Jimmy — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Have you ever marveled at the wonderful technological gadgets used in futuristic films, where the James Bonds of 2060 are guided through the geographical, social, cultural, and political facets of the territory which they are about to invade by the charming voice of a machine? Well, here is the new, post-reading Wikipedia for you: QWiki.

The idea is simple – and straight out to the movies. Instead of reading through long paragraphs of textual information, which some might find strenuous, you listen to the narration of a smart lady who gives you all the essentials. Meanwhile, you get to enjoy some animated pictures and videos to visualize the content.

Qwiki is a startup founded in 2009 in the Facebook-City of Palo Alto. It earned some early fame in tech circles by winning the TechCrunch Disrupt startup competition in September 2010. Today, they have provided millions of search terms with compact multimedia sequences. The computer voice reads out key points and information and illustrates them with photos, diagrams and maps. The result is a short presentation, usually less than a minute, which provides a handy overview of the relevant term or subject. Qwiki gets its content mostly from the “usual suspects,” including Wikipedia, Google Maps, and Fotopedia Wikimedia Commons.

Although Qwiki is not a bad way to look up something on your PC, I’ve always preferred the direct visit to Wikipedia – quickly skim through a concept explained in writing, understand the details necessary for your work. The problem with the stripped-down Qwiki slideshow is that it might exclude precisely the aspect to which I need detailed background information.

However, the situation quite differently on an iPad for which the newest app was released just this April: Here, efficiency and productivity are less important, instead fun, visual delight and visual experience matter. Here, the Qwiki approach fits much better. It is a product to watch and a site to enjoy. Have fun.

Mediaboom – Straight into the 1940s

Jimmy — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:04:29 +0000

The world of media and marketing agencies is tough. To stand out is even tougher. But the website created by mediaBOOM, an interactive agency based in Connecticut, USA is simply so outstanding that whether or not you intend to become their client, you are immediately compelled to stay on and explore. Tall buildings and broad avenues that are reminiscent of the New York of the 1940s complete with a fitting theme song provide not only a background, they provide an atmosphere. Its an immersive experience that takes you throughout the mediaBOOM city and allows you to explore the companies vast portfolio piece by piece.

Every aspect of mediaBOOM is depicted complete with a fitting scenario. Services, for example, takes you to a construction site. While the Jazz continues on in the background, the sounds and sights of a summery day in the streets appears, there is hammering and voices of men working away. While you read about mediaBOOMs skills in development and marketing, you witness them first-hand. Their portfolio shows that they have successfully applied these skills for various companies: Four Season, Jim Beam, Hyatt – they all have sought and found mediaBOOM. If I was looking for a creative way to push my company, these guys would be high on my list. They might be quite expensive given what their able to do! But oh well, even if you cant afford them, the site is inspiring in itself. Somehow, I was immediately compelled to dig out one of the adventure role plays set in 1940s and immerge…

Evernote – Forget Nothing

Jimmy — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:30:27 +0000

Just in case you are as forgetful and confused as I am: Try Evernote. True, its not so much a website as it is a webapplication that you can download to your computer and onto your phone. But it still combines the wonders of Web 2.0 with the everyday fact that post-its are great. What I used to in the past was this: I carried around a calendar, yes, one of the nice ones, and whenever I had an idea I would write in a post it and stick into the calendar where I would find it later – if it hadn’t fallen out. The system worked for me except for those days when I had forgotten my calendar at home or when I had an idea but not my calendar n/or my post-its. Evernote can take care of it all, its a mobile organizer perfectly equipped to bring structure into confused minds like ours.

So what can you do with Evernote: Well, first it lets you capture almost everything, notes, pictures, screenshots, music, video… Everything. Lets say, for example, you see this perfect gift for your girlfriend or boyfriend which you know you will have forgotten by the time you walk around the next corner. The solution: You take a picture, store it in a list of things to buy for him/her and the next time you are in need of anything: There it is! Or: You are in a meeting, somebody draws an inspiring graph on a clipboard. No way you can remember that thing, ever. After the meeting you take a picture, store it next to your notes from that meeting and bingo, you are set to review everything tomorrow, next week or when you retire. Of course, the app is hooked up to Twitter, Facebook and all other kinds of social platforms by now. Its the future and the download is free.

Revitalizing a Neighborhood

Jimmy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:22:09 +0000

photo © 2006 Paul Swansen | more info (via: Wylio)The internet helps lead the way into the future. But only rarely do we see sites that combine the cutting-edge knowledge of the latest JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3 enhancements with innovations in urban planning. Like so many urban centers across the United States, Denvers Union Station Neighborhood has suffered intensely over the last decades, from the biases towards suburban living and the automobile as well as failed attempts in “urban renewal”. Once, Denvers Union Station was a gateway between the Great Plains and the West, during the second half of the twentieth century the inevitable decline led to the collapse of a whole neighborhood.

But today, the Union Station Neighborhood is alive again. Exactly how is demonstrated in the most impressive way on their website unionstationdenver.com. A great video about the history, fascinating information and plans for the future and, the highlight, an interactive map that allows visitors to envision the future of urban living. As Denver reverses the trends of suburbanization and decay, people will move back into the city and Union Station will once more become the center, filled with parks and cafes, stores and markets. Already, they are using trains, buses, and bikes to travel from one neighborhood to another – most importantly, however, they stay in the city. Following that development on the site is almost as exciting as participating in the project yourself. It is definitely worth checking out!

Magnum Pleasure Hunt

Jimmy — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:22:29 +0000

Here is a creative idea that combines the joys of a jump-and-run with some pretty creative advertising. In the Magnum Pleasure Hunt you become the beautiful heroine that masters multiple levels on the hunt for the tasty Magnum pleasure bites spread across the screen. Just in time for the summer, you will certainly develop a craving for the new hazelnut temptation. But be careful: There is the danger of addiction. I am not talking about the ice-cream (I haven’t tried that yet) – it’s the game that will get you hooked!

Controlled via the left and right arrow as well as the space bar for jumping, the game is a masterpiece of advertising. The little Magnum temptations are hidden all over the “Internet”, which means that you have to collect them from the animated screenshots of Youtube (attention: pursuit!), the Hilton (where you’ll get a lift) and other sites you hate to love. The goal is, of course, to collect as many points as possible. Back when we were still greedy you could also win prizes in those browser games, now the goal is to challenge your friends and share your scores on Facebook. I’d much rather take one of those Magnum ice-creams. Could you mail that to me please?