XBox PS3 Wii Second Life and You
Do you have an understanding of where gaming will go in 2008 and in coming years? Do you understand as a business professional, a marketer, a parent, an artist, what this will mean for you?
Ars Technica reports that gaming growth is far outpacing movies and music as our entertainment of choice. As we move into more immersive, more interactive, and much more networked worlds, this is where these opportunities will grow. Think about Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where there was the notion of the “neighbors,” basically soap operas with a giant plasma screen TV, where you in your house would talk along in the script. It’s here already, in dozens of ways.
This past Christmas, I bought a Nintendo Wii from Geoff Livingston. (Side story: he twittered that he barely used it and wondered aloud about selling it. I sent him a message right away, and picked it up at a Social Media Breakfast event). The game was immediately transformational in my family. My father and my daughter played bowling and baseball together right away. It was collaborative, physical, and extremely inviting.
Places like Second Life and Small Worlds and Kaneva are in full effect. World of Warcraft and Halo3 and interactive gaming platforms exist in such a space as to deliver thousands of active and engaged people into shared spaces. There’s an entire revenue space forming around virtual goods that is real, and generating revenue. (Sidebar: see Eric Rice for TONS more information on this space, on potential new flavors, and all kinds more info than I’ll ever have.)
So the question is this: with all this energy, effort, revenue, and opportunity floating around in gaming, how much longer can you ignore it? Either as a player/participant, or an organization, what will you be doing in this universe?
Photo credit, Financial Aid Podcast
