5 posts tagged “business”
Interesting Kevin Kelly take on the recent WIRED title story...
http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/01/better_than_fre.php
Another take...
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061026/102329.shtml
Original article
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=all
PS: Speaking of Abundance. Interesting book on three major trends ((Abundance, Asia, Automation)), although the term "Abundance" was used in a slightly different context and with less emphasis on digital vs real goods...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594481717/ref=cm_rdp_product/102-4020406-0906530
Merge in May and don't go away...
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/sprint-clearwire-set-to-announce-12b-wimax-deal-with-comcast/
and
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121010437224271501.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Although a few companies have beeen around for some time, so technically these aren't startups ((Bittorrent ?)) to me - but who is to criticize almighty Wired...
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/news/2007/12/YE_10_startups
The list is interesting and at least two company names I didn't hear of before ((Powerset and Slide)).
I really wonder why Microsoft couldn't solve their Xbox quality problems earlier ((and why they ever introduced the Zune - too little too late against the iPod family)). If they did, they could win the war against the PS3 easily after all of Sony's recent missteps. Here comes my simple, 3-step plan for the XBox:
((The 3 steps would have been possible with no additional expenses/costs if the build quality was as high as Nintendo's products))
1. Elite should be a real Elite. Introduce the XBox Elite ((back when it was introduced)) with an HD-DVD drive - while making clear this option is for movies only and not for games. This would be the model to compete with the higher-end PS3.
2. Tweak options/price. Introduce all three XBox models with Wi-Fi from the beginning and drop the entry Core/Arcade price to $ 249 to compete with the Wii head-on ((by Christmas 2007)).
3. Mobile. Introduce a mobile XBox ((leveraging the strong Xbox brand)) instead of the Zune in 2006/2007 - competing with PSP, NDS instead of the iPod.
MS introduced a few good options for Christmas '07 ((eg. the family pack with two games for $ 349 and the new Arcade model replacing the Core model)), but not bold enough in my view given the company's resources.
PS: I don't think somebody from MS ever reads this, but it is sure fun to write it. After all, I predicted Nintendo's comeback back in 2004 and 2005 when nobody gave them much credit any more...
Interesting interviews with video game executives...
Jens Peter Kurup » Kane & Lynch
Clive Barker » Jericho
Phil Harrison » Sony Worldwide Studio President
One answer by Harrison I noted. Good to know I enjoyed old-school games and wasn't ashamed of my hobby. Read: Phil Harrison is a faker/poser :) - Seriously, it is sad to see someone needs to been as "cool" to enjoy his job and life.
Playboy: In the 20 years you've been in the industry, what has been the most significant change in terms of what the games deliver now versus then?
Harrison: We are now a medium that matters. We are relevant to people's lives. We weren't in 1987. When I was 17 or 18 years old and hanging out in a bar, talking to girls and somebody would say, "What do you do for a living?" I would mutter something about working in computers. I wouldn't have said that I was in the computer game industry. It just wasn't cool. Wind the clock forward 20 years and say, "I work for PlayStation," and people are fascinated. It's a fashion brand, it's a technology brand, it's an entertainment brand that is very relevant to people's lives. We are now a part of popular culture. That is the most significant and, I hope, long-lasting change that we've seen.
More interviews here: http://www.playboy.com/magazine/features/video-game-blowout/video-game-blowout1.html
