This well done ad features some neat stop motion animation with an older song (Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Don’t Stop’) contrasted to a newer artist singing it in Nina Nesbitt and a general theme of looking towards the future. The message of the ad is clear: your things matter to you, therefore they matter to John Lewis. A refreshing insurance ad that’s not grating, cutesy or stupid.
GoDaddy has developed a reputation for having sexualized ads, often featuring Danica Patrick. Now, the company seems to be shifting into random memetic videos, such as this one where ’90’s action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme serenades some baker . . . with bongo drums.
Source: AdWeek
Despite having released for PC over a year ago, Activision Blizzard is giving a considerable push to the console launch of Diablo III. Vital to that is this TV spot for Diablo III, emphasizing the ability for multiple players to play on one screen with a dash of wacky cuckold humor.
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami has promised that The Evil Within (called Psycho Break in Japan) will be a return to true survival horror and this gameplay video seems to prove that out. Watch as detective Sebastian happens upon a scene of a mass murder and discovers it is something far more (and worse) than he imagined.
Eminem has been tied to Activision for some time, appearing at the company’s live concert event at E3 a few years back and even lending his “Won’t Back Down” track for a previous game in the series. Now, for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the rap star is going all out with a new promotion.
Along with premiering his new track “Survival” during the Ghosts multiplayer event a few weeks ago, Eminem will team with the publisher to provide an exclusive offer for those who buy the upcoming shooter through Gamestop. Those who pick up the game at that retailer will be able to get his upcoming The Marshall Mathers LP 2 CD for a discounted price of $8.99.
“The energy and intensity of ‘Survival’ really matches Call of Duty: Ghosts,” said Eminem. “I’m excited to continue to be a part of the franchise.”
“Call of Duty is the ultimate adrenaline rush. It’s the intensity and heart-pounding excitement you feel as the action unfolds. And Eminem embodies this same spirit and captures this in his music,” said Tim Ellis, CMO of Activision Publishing. “The breadth of this program takes our partnership to a new level and will continue to unfold in the months to come. It’s going to be a massive day in entertainment with the launch of Call of Duty: Ghosts and Marshall Mathers LP 2 both hitting on November 5.”
Eminem’s promotion for the new album doesn’t stop there, as he recently made an odd appearance during the Michigan-Notre Damn game on ESPN. You can see that video below.
The PlayStation Vita has always been known as a handheld system, but later this year, Sony will introduce a new way to play most of its game library at home.
With PS Vita TV, players will be able to play most PS Vita games, as well as the full downloadable library of PS One and PlayStation Portable games, through a small device that connects to the television, through an HDMI out port. The system will require a DualShock 3 controller to play games, which isn’t included with the core system, but is available separately and through an upcoming bundle that puts the two together.
The 6 cm X 10 cm device will sell for 9,480 yen ($95) for the system itself, and 14,280 yen ($143) with the controller. The PS Vita TV also streams Netflix, Hulu and other services, and can also handle PS4 gameplay streaming.
It will go on sale on November 14 in Japan, though it hasn’t been announced for other markets yet. The PS Vita TV seems like tough competition for Roku, Ouya, and other microconsoles if Sony brings it to North America.
Source: GamesIndustry International
Microsoft has made a big deal out of its Xbox Music service on Xbox 360 and other devices over the past few months, but this week took it to a whole new level with a new app for iOS and Android devices that will let users access their library on those devices.
The Spotify-style music service allows users to access their library with ease through the app, free of charge with full-on ad support. The app features an easy-to-use navigation system, along with a new Radio service, where people can find songs quickly based on what their tastes are. You’ll also have search abilities available through the Bing search tool.
One eventual addition that Microsoft is looking to bring to Xbox Music is the cloud storage system, where users can store and access thousands of songs, without having to worry about the capacity of their hard drives.
The iOS/Android app is available now. If you’ve got a strong Xbox Music library – or you’re just getting started – it’s worth checking out.
Source: GigaOm
Seagate, the makers of hard drive accessories for various devices, is about to shake things up for the mobile market with the introduction of the biggest hard drive to-date for Android devices.
The company has announced the Ultra Mobile Hard Drive, which brings a whopping 500 GB of storage space to tablets. The device has been designed for shock resistance and ultra-low power usage — Seagate claims it’s similar to a 64 GB flash drive, though costing a fraction of the price.
The drive, which measures a paltry 2.5 inches around with 0.19 inches thickness and 3.3 ounces in weight, allows storage for more than 125,000 songs, 100,000 photos and 62 hours of high definition video. It’ll also mean better capacity for when 4K video is finally perfected for the mobile front in a few years’ time. This could mean a massive advantage for Android over iOS, and would have a major effect on games and other media used on tablets.
There’s no word yet on the hard drive’s release date, but it’s currently going through the testing phase.
Source: GigaOm
Since its release last year, the PS Vita has yet to find a huge audience, but things could change soon with the announcement of a new model.
Sony revealed the PS Vita 2000 yesterday during a press conference in Japan, a system that still takes advantage of the system’s huge library, but does so with a sleeker design. The system will be 20 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the current model, and available in six different colors. Also, the system utilizes a touch-screen LCD display, compared to the original system’s OLED set-up.
1 GB of on-board memory will be built into the system, although Sony is planning to introduce a 64 GB memory card for separate purchase “soon”.
The system is currently scheduled for release in Japan on October 10, though there’s no word when it will hit the other markets.
Source: GamesIndustry International
Instagram has really blossomed over the past year, with 50 million users signing on for its service in the last six months alone and 150 million total overall still actively using the online photo program. What’s next Selling ads, of course.
Instagram Director of Business Operations Emily White spoke to the Wall Street Journal, explaining that the company is ready to begin selling ads starting within the next year. It’s a move being initiated by Facebook to turn the revenue-free site into a moneymaker, with the help of ad revenue.
The ads are likely to utilize the Discover tab, where both the Popular and Search pages can be found – popular amongst users of the service.
White stated that companies would be able to promote their own content and advertise with keywords through certain parts of the site, but would not be able to link their own websites within the app – showing a slight hint of hesitation.
Source: TechCrunch
