‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Trailer Debuts At Comic-Con

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One of the highlights of the cinematic material screened at this weekend’s Comic-Con convention was Mad Max: Fury Road. Warner Bros. publicly unveiled this first footage exclusively to the excess of eager fans that attended the convention; however, they also decided to release a shorter version of the preview online Sunday.

The plot for the new installment of the Mad Max film is as follows: The post-apocalyptic action film is set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a desolate desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world of “fire and blood” exist two rebels on the run who might be able to restore order. There’s Max (played by Tom Hardy from The Dark Knight Rises), a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his family in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron from Prometheus), a woman of action who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.

Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth film of George Miller’s Road Warrior/Mad Max franchise co-written and directed by Miller.

The trailer featured, what can be considered, the ultimate car chase, starting with a feeling similar to The Road Warrior, but then opening up into incredible vistas and blasts of action that go far beyond anything Miller has put on screen in the past.

Watch the Mad Max trailer here:

Budweiser’s Made For Music Campaign Launches ‘Underground’ Series

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By Jessica Klein

Budweiser’s Made for Music campaign, launched last year with Jay Z and Rihanna, continues in 2014 with the six-part series “Made Underground.” The series follows Jamie N Commons and X Ambassadors as they travel from New York to London to Rio De Janeiro to Philadelphia searching for members of a new band of street performers.

The series will culminate in a performance at the Budweiser Made in America festival on Saturday, August 30. Produced by Noisey, Vice’s music channel, Alex Da Kid, and, of course, Budweiser, “Made Underground” episodes will feature the search for musicians in London on August 4, then in New York on the 12, with episodes based in Philly on the 19 and Rio on the 26. Those episodes will roll out on Budweiser’s music platform, including additional ones that focus on what happens when the band comes together.

The founder of KIDinaKORNER Records (which has signed both Jamie N Commons and X Ambassadors), Alex Da Kid also co-directs the series while producing and mentoring the band. Meanwhile, Jay Z curates the Budweiser Made in America festival, where the band resulting from “Made Underground” will play in late August.

“Living in New York, it’s hard to miss the amazing talent around every corner, which is why I am so thrilled to work with Budweiser’s ‘Made Underground’ to showcase the truly brilliant street performers throughout the world and highlight the energy they bring to our city life,” the X Ambassadors’ Sam Harris stated in regards to the upcoming series.

You can watch the trailer below:

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.

 

‘The Internet of Things’ Market Growing Fast

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The net neutrality debate that’s currently ongoing isn’t just about streaming videos, it’s about other aspects of the Internet. PCs, mobile devices, smart TVs and set-top boxes use it quite frequently, but other devices, like cars and homes, could become part of the future market, according to a new eMarketer report titled “Key Digital Trends for Midyear 2014: The Internet of Things, Net Neutrality and Why Marketers Need To Care.”

Many forecasts indicate that creating an audience from currently untapped Internet sources could result in a huge market boost over the next few years, as you can see in the chart below. Several companies have predicted big changes, including the International Data Corporation, who believes the market will grow from the current $1.9 trillion to $7.1 trillion in just six years time; and Gartner Group, who expects 26 billion connected objects to be in existence by the time 2020 rolls around.

“There’s no doubt the world is moving towards a more connected future, but the speed with which consumers and enterprises make the transition to the Internet of things is still to be determined,” said Noah Elkin, executive editor at eMarketer. “The timing of adoption will determine just how much money and how many things are involved.”

Other statistics from the report indicate that Cisco Systems predicting 50 billion things to be connected by 2022, and MarketsandMarkets stating that the market will reach a new conservative high of $1.423 trillion in that time frame, a nice bump from the $1.029 trillion reported for this year.

The cost of connecting objects to the Internet is dropping rapidly, and the size and power requirements of the technology or also shrinking along with the price. As more and more devices add Internet connectivity, we’ll find new and interesting ways this helps our lives in a variety of ways.

What do you think Are you ready for the “Internet of all things”

Source: eMarketer

5 Questions With Defy Media’s Larke Paul

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At what point did you realize that video platforms like YouTube and Vine could be a boon for brands?

Larke Paul, Defy Media’s Senior Director, Creator Program and Partnerships

There wasn’t a single “AHA” moment; for me, it was following audience growth and engagement consistently. It’s a must to closely monitor the platform landscapes as they ebb and flow and understand the personalities and intricacies of both established and emerging platforms. As we saw audience numbers grow and engagement between talent and their fans became more profound and transactional (i.e., twitter conversations, direct comment responses, fan shout-outs in videos, merchandise purchases), it seemed to be an advertiser’s dream set-up.

Many of today’s digital stars have a genuine connection with their audience, combine that with the massive reach of their content (which is often times larger than traditional programming) and you start to see the real value for brands to get involved.

What are challenges that content creators have when being approached by brands to work with them?

Similar to celebrities who garnered fame via TV shows/movies, digital talent will have similar challenges and need to ask themselves: is this a brand that I genuinely like and engage with, is there anything about the brand that may conflict with content I’ve produced in the past or are they asking me to do something that doesn’t mesh well with my content or my brand attributes These are all key questions to answer when considering a brand opportunity. Since creators know their fans the best, they are usually the best judge of how to incorporate a brand into their content in a way that will benefit all.

It’s important to find the right balance between the brand message and the creator’s natural content format and to weave that message in without being heavy handed. This balance is key to keeping the content authentic and engaging for fans while also aiming to achieve the advertiser’s goals.

Do you have a personal favorite campaign you’ve worked on that utilized influencers?

My favorite program is the partnership DEFY Media forged with Coca Cola for the brand’s “The AHH Effect” campaign which is now in its second year. We worked with Coca-Cola and their agency connecting them with YouTube artists Kurt Hugo Schneider and Mark Crilley (both members of the DEFY Creator’s Program) to create an original series of videos that incorporated use of Coke bottles in awe inspiring ways.

Mark contributed illustration work and created two mind-blowing videos that featured coke bottles while Kurt created two music videos that used only Coke bottles as musical instruments and were later aired as commercial spots during this year’s “American Idol” season premiere. It was a thrill to see these creators absolutely thrive and see their content connect with audiences so deeply and emerge as some of the campaign’s most engaging content.

What are some tips you feel would be important for marketers to know before embarking on creating their own content for YouTube? What about tips for would-be creators who look up to those like Smosh?

When marketers are working with creators, they should absolutely get to know the talent — watch their videos, research social posts, and get to know the style and point-of-view of the creator. If a marketer is creating content outside of a single creator, then it’s a mix of age-old rules and new rules. The writing and concept has to be solid — if they’re going for funny, it really needs to make people laugh and smile”“ and hopefully share. If it’s a more serious message, then it should really evoke emotion with the audience. Be cognizant of the video’s length and engage with the audience through comments on YouTube and other social platforms. Creating a smart launch and distribution strategy around the content or channel is key and should be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes PR, marketing, social media and a well thought out YouTube rollout schedule. Whether it’s a smaller campaign or a longer term initiative, connecting with your audience across all of their touch points matters.

What’s next on your Watch Later list?

I’m hoping for new content from Hello Denizen and I’m excited to catch the latest from Kingsley’s Mid-Year Overexposed Series, Brusspup illusions, Minute Physics, and Chriselle Lim.

 

Raptr CEO Dennis Fong Talks ESports

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Raptr is expanding its online service features for PC gamers with its Game Video Recorder (GVR) technology, which allows Nvidia and AMD PC owners to seamlessly capture gameplay and stream video content. The new Instant Replay feature leverages the GVR functionality and enables users to save up to 20 minutes of gameplay even after it’s happened. Other new features include automated uploading and sharing of recorded gameplay, and an online destination where gameplay clips are shared and curated via the Raptr community of 30 million gamers. Both the GVR and live streaming functions in Raptr are supported across more than 5,000 games.

Live streaming has given rise to the global eSports phenomenon, something that Raptr co-founder Dennis Fong knows well. He was one of the early eSports stars who played under the name “Thresh.” Fong explains how he’s used his eSports skills to succeed with his video game business ventures in this exclusive interview.

What were eSports like back in the days you played?

One of the bigger differences is that because of the popularity of live streaming, it’s much easier for guys in the minor leagues — the guys that haven’t been discovered yet — to come up. You can pop into a stream and watch them play. It also enables a lot more scouting and recon on your opponents today to see how they play. Back when I was playing you had to decide if you wanted to record a demo/replay, and it wasn’t widely distributed. You couldn’t upload it because of the format.

Dennis Fong

With Twitch you can record audio while you’re playing, which changes the way gamers interact with their stars. It gives a lot more insight into their personalities. Before, you wouldn’t know a lot about me or my personal life, only the match results. There’s more transparency. It’s as if LeBron James or Kobe Bryant had a GoPro camera on their chest every day in practice. Fans are able to connect with pro gamers on a more personal level. And players can make money through Twitch streams while interacting with their fans.

What’s a favorite memory that stands out from your career?

It’d have to be the tournament where I won John Carmack’s Ferrari 328 at E3 in Atlanta. One of my big strengths is that I don’t get nervous when I compete. I focus on what I’m able to do. I believe if I do my best, I’m going to win. Shaky hands can affect your play with your mouse in PC gaming. The only moment I got nervous was in the final match. I was seated at a PC where the Ferrari was behind me and I could see the reflection in the monitor. I had already won the game but there were 10 seconds left and I finally let myself relax because I’d won the tournament. It’s a big deal to win a Ferrari at the age of 19.

What impact do you feel big sponsors like American Express, Coke and HBO will have on continuing to grow eSports?

Up until the last few years, very few people could make a living playing games; making more than $100,000 a year playing games. Having big sponsors spend money on pro athletes to build up brands is a big step. It brings legitimacy to eSports. Once these big brands jump in, they open the gateway. The floodgates are starting to open with Coke, AmEx and these other brands because they feel like they’re missing something. Those brands have been extremely happy with the results they’re seeing and the impact and reach of eSports thus far. It ultimately means more money coming into this, more pro teams and more players. We’re past the tipping point and eSports is getting to a real scale.

How will your GVR technology impact eSports or eSports fans?

Twitch has 40 million uniques watching streams, but less than a million people actually broadcast their gameplay. It’s designed around a premium content premise where you go there to watch the most famous players play. Part of what we want to do is democratize the experience a bit. I feel like every time I play a game there’s something amazing or cool that happens, it could be a funny moment or a bug or something epic. But I may not be at a point where I can generate a lot of Twitch streams. We want to help people capture those moments. We’ve designed capture technology that has no impact on the performance of your PC. Whenever something cool happens you click save and it’ll save the last 15 seconds. It’s like the ESPN SportsCenter highlights. You can capture and share with the community. We have 27 million PC gamers on Raptr and they can live stream any game they’re playing without set-up or complex broadcasting software, similar to what Xbox and PlayStation did on next gen consoles. With the rise of the GoPro cameras everybody has hero moments, and now you can share those with friends.

Raptr GVR

How do you feel your GVR tech differentiates itself from Twitch?

League of Legends is our number one game and DOTA 2 is in our Top 5. We have live stream gameplay videos featured on Raptr for the community. Our take is more democratic. Think of us as helping the minor league players to rise up to the premium leagues. Everyone has the opportunity to be recorded and capture cool moments. And then the community decides who has the coolest stuff and it rises up.

How have you seen the League of Legends Challenger Series open up eSports?

The Challenger Series has been structured as a way to be discovered and rise up through the ranks. It’s only for League, but before you’d have to get lucky. Any kind of structure that helps people to rise up through the ranks and know what your next goal is. Before they had a system, you didn’t know what level you needed to get to be on a pro team. The minor league system mirrors pro sports. There’s a reason why every sport has a minor league system. It helps gamers explain to their parents what it will take to be a pro. I’m sure it’s something that other developers and companies will institute. Riot just happens to be way more aggressive in pushing this stuff. Korea has a similar structure with StarCraft gaming houses. A lot of what’s happening with League and the rest of the world is playing catch-up to Korea. It speaks a lot to how serious Riot takes this and how much they are responsible for driving eSports forward.

What differentiates this golden age of eSports from the earlier days when you played?

Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) and World Cyber Games (WCG) are gone. Leagues come and go. They were supported by outside organizations. Riot was one of the first to put the whole company behind eSports. They are the single biggest reason eSports is as popular as it is today. The big money helps. For many years, very few people could play games professionally. That’s changed because of sponsors and prize pools growing.

How has being a pro gamer helped with your second career as a gaming exec?

One of the things I was known for as a gamer was Thresh ESP. They called me the most intelligent player and I could tell what opponents were doing before they knew it. As I moved into other stuff, my brain naturally works in a way that applies well not only in games, but where you put yourself in other people’s shoes and see the world through other people’s eyes. It’s like Super Turbo Speed Chess. As I’m running around playing Quake I’d see my opponent from his first-person perspective and I could visualize if he was coming around the corner. I have a strong intuition in what I’d be doing in his situation given what he thinks I’m doing. That’s the one thing that’s quite unique about me. I don’t have to consciously do it. I don’t have to separate things. It happens intuitively. That translates to starting companies or business. Recruiting people you need to understand what excites them and what their passions are and see things through their eyes, or see things through gamers’ eyes marketing-wise and try to put understand how your product solves problems for them. That transition into business was seamless for me.

How much overlap is there across top eSports titles like League of Legends, DOTA 2 and StarCraft II?

We’ve done pretty in-depth analysis on these games with our Raptr audience. The core enthusiasts all play games like World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike and Dragon Age. In the months of May and June 2014, 22.8% of League of Legends players also played some DOTA 2.

Our hardcore gamers spend time playing 30 to 100 games in the time we track them. The newer breed of gamers not in that hardcore play a much broader variety of games including League of Legends and DOTA 2. The big trend we’re seeing is the rise of indie games. The Top 5 games that League of Legends players also play is other free-to-play games or other indie games. The picture of a gamer has changed the past few years as free-to-play is more popular with games like World of Tanks and the rise of eSports.

Pinterest’s New Male Brand Head Speaks

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David Rubin

Pinterest has always been a site that’s been geared more towards female users, with its approach and design showing a certain touch that simply appeals to that kind of audience. Which leads to the question some of you may be asking — why is a man in charge of it

That man, David Rubin, is the current head of brand at the website, coming off a previous job where he worked as senior vice president of marketing at Unilever, doing work for Axe men’s body care. Quite a change, to say the least.

Speaking with Digiday, Rubin explained how the growth of the size is vastly important to him. “Growth is my mandate,” he said. “There’s a large and incredibly committed user base. Expanding that into more audiences and expanding it globally is why I am here.”

What does that mean Bringing a bigger male portion of the audience to Pinterest. There are a decent amount of them using the site now, although 71.5 percent of the general audience continues to be women. So the big growth opportunity would appear to be in getting men to use the site, hence the choice of Rubin.

However, many believe that Rubin is an ideal fit for the job. “David Rubin is really big on using data — sociological, behavioral, etc. — to tap into what motivates people,” said DigitasLBi group director of social and content strategy Jill Sherman. “And that’s where Pinterest is failing with men. They haven’t cracked the motivation code. How to attract men and keep them using the platform beyond saving things that pique their interest.”

Rubin knows he’s got an uphill struggle ahead of him, though. “This is a fantastic brand already,” he noted. “My job is to help unlock that for more people, more often.”

Do you think Rubin is up to ask for leveling out Pinterest’s audience

Source: Digiday

Top Social Networking Platforms You Should Keep An Eye On

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For those who are worn out from the habitual social media platforms that are Facebook and Twitter, here’s a look at a few up-and-coming social networks that marketers and users should become familiar with.

First on the list is Snapchat. Snapchat is a photo messaging application that allows users to take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a controlled list of recipients. These sent photographs and videos are known as “Snaps”. Users set a time limit for how long recipients can view their Snaps (1 to 10 seconds), after which they will be hidden from the recipient’s device and deleted from Snapchat’s servers. Vocus, a cloud-based marketing and public relations company, published a report on Snapchat’s marketing potential by explaining that, “Brands can set up profiles on the network and add users as friends, who opt into the brand’s messages by accepting.” The report also discusses how Snapchat’s young user base makes it an attractive platform for brands with a young demographic (whose purchasing power is rapidly growing) to reach out and engage customers.

Next is the mobile dating app Tinder. Tinder is an app that pulls your photo and basic information from your Facebook account. Users can swipe “yes” or “no” to potential matches who are nearby. If the feeling is mutual, people can chat within the app. Tinder also offers great marketing potential for brands. The app has experimented very little with advertising, but not because it doesn’t want to. Tinder is a hybrid app the encompasses features of both social networking sites as well as dating sites, so it’s target demographic varies depending on who’s using the app, and for what reasons. Still, its brand integration has room for tremendous growth.

Lastly, we have Vine. Vine is a short-form video sharing service that allows users to record and edit six-second long video clips, which can then be published through Vine’s social network and shared on other services such as Facebook and Twitter. Vine’s app can also be used to browse through videos posted by other users, along with groups of videos by theme, and trending videos. The social networking app has become increasingly popular, especially since Twitter purchased the video clip company in 2012 for a reported $30 million. And, as is the case with most popular social platforms, advertisers and marketers are looking for a way to get in, and make money, on the action. Currently, advertisers are tapping popular personalities and characters on Vine to make microcommercials in the same spirit and style that made the social media account popular in the first place. Furthermore, Vine’s short six-second-loop video format makes it easy for companies to film, upload, and share videos to social media. According to a piece done by Fast Company, The 7th Chamber stated that five tweets a second contain a Vine link, and studies are showing that a branded Vine is four times more likely to be seen than a branded video; any brand not onboard with Vine risks losing out on some serious social media exposure.

All in all, with the daily explosion of startups, there are plenty of new social media tools popping up. These newer platforms could be working on the next big thing, so you’ll want to keep an eye out.

Source: Mashable

Facebook Covertly Poised To Take Over Video Space

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By Jocelyn Johnson

Facebook offers a reach comparable to YouTube and is already an integral part of any creator’s social marketing mix.  As one video executive told us, when it comes to marketing and distribution online, YouTube and Facebook are the only game in town. Other social platforms don’t matter as much.

But where this starts to get interesting is how Facebook is stealthily readying itself to take YouTube head on.

The social giant’s true potential within the digital video ecosystem was first evidenced by the success YouTube star Ray William Johnson had in pre-releasing his “Riley Rewind” web series on Facebook a day before windowing it to YouTube. Johnson claimed that the series did 10 million views on Facebook in that one day.

Couple that with the seamless integration of Instagram video, the VOD provider Screenburn, which was used to re-release Katy Perry’s documentary “Part of Me”, the LiveRail acquisition for video advertising tech and the new mobile related-videos feature and you can start to assemble Facebook’s strategy in hitting at the major features YouTube, and other OTT services, offer.

And then, in March, Facebook hired former Ryan Seacrest Productions SVP Sibyl Goldman as head of entertainment partnerships, responsible for securing partnerships with studios, networks, celebrities, and other creative talent.

Multiple industry sources tell us that Goldman and her team have talked with YouTube talent and producers to distribute content on the social network. Publicly, Goldman has promoted the added value provided by Facebook’s own video player. “Videos generally tend to reach more people when published natively,” she said during a recent session at VidCon, a point that was confirmed by fellow panelist Justine Ezarik.

However, with a little sleuthy digging and tips from our sources, we’ve found there are quite a few prominent figures actively using and testing Facebook’s player.

One such company that is seemingly finding success using Facebook’s player is Buzzfeed, with its dedicated Buzzfeed Video page, where it’s generating thousands of likes and comments per video post. Some of these videos live only on Facebook while others are syndicated on YouTube as well.

Maker Studios is another company using Facebook’s player for show Nacho Punch. Full episodes of the show can be found uploaded into the Facebook timeline. However Maker is still using YouTube for episodes and the annotations functionality, a feature which Facebook has yet to add, but looking at Nacho Punch’s timeline on Facebook, it includes a blend of both players, likely an A/B test approach.

NachoPunch

Similarly, in a much more tepid approach, Upworthy, the website for viral content, is also being very indiscriminate in its choice of video player. Facebook native video, YouTube, and Vimeo embeds can be found across their Facebook page and social feeds.

However, when asked if Facebook is developing a partner program of some type, Goldman was noncommittal. “Right now, we’re focusing on driving video consumption, sharing, and engagement with fans.”

Even further, Facebook doesn’t have to get into the premium content creation business to entice advertisers to the platform. As long as it continues to educate influencers on the power of the native player while it incrementally strengthens its footing, the mega-giant could move the needle in terms of competing with YouTube.

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.

The VR Battle Gets Real

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The Virtual Reality market is anything but real yet, though that hasn’t stopped companies from spending billions of dollars to compete in it. Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR closed recently, and that’s a good moment to take a look at this business where we still don’t have products on the market. There’s no lack of excitement among various companies, though, and the maneuvering is already beginning to be in position to grab the biggest part of the VR market — however big the overall market will be.

Google’s entry is a low-tech one so far, with the Cardboard VR device announced at Google I O in June. Sure, it’s more than a little tongue-in-cheek, but it actually does provide some of the elements of a VR experience — for a very small price, and to pretty good reviews. We already know Google is experimenting with computing devices on your face with Google Glass — it’s not too much of a leap to think the company is considering a step into VR, where there’s so much excitement. Google’s Project Tango has obvious applications to VR. Maybe we’ll see something more come from this in the VR space.

Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly working with Oculus VR to get help with Samsung’s “Gear VR” headset, which uses a mobile device as the screen instead of a dedicated headset. Engadget says they’ve heard “very positive things” about the Samsung device. “Though our sources only experienced a few demos, they repeatedly described them as ‘impressive,’ specifically with the caveat ‘for a phone,'” noted Engadget.

Sony’s Project Morpheus ha sattracted a lot of attention from its slick design and use of PlayStation Move controllers, as well as the fact that it’s powered by a PlayStation 4. Still, even Sony admits that it’s ultimately about the experiences the hardware can deliver (in their case, they’re looking at games), and the company is working to develop some games to see just how compelling an experience this can deliver.

The target that Oculus VR is shooting for is on a different level, though — similar to what Michael Abrash discussed for Valve, before he left to join Oculus as chief scientist (see above). The headset would need to be connected to a PC, because the amount of computing required is substantial for the graphics specifications that Oculus is looking to hit. It’s going to make the headset something that’s not self-contained, at least not for a while. However, the Oculus is looking more substantial now that Facebook is throwing its weight behind it. Oculus now has a publishing effort, led by veteran Jason Rubin, and that should result in some excellent content for the device.

For now, though, we still have no idea of the pricing for VR hardware or software, or even when the devices will begin to hit the market. It’s something to watch, but it’s not going to have an effect this year. 2015 may be a different story.

Source: Engadget

China Telecom To Sell Xbox One

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Microsoft is getting very serious about selling Xbox One consoles in China, as the company has cut a deal with China’s leading fixed-line broadband operator, China Telecom, to sell the Xbox One console beginning in September. This is a major breakthrough for Microsoft, locking up the leading broadband provider in China while Sony is still in the early stage s of bringing the PlayStation 4 to China.

The Xbox 360 has sold reasonably well on the black market in Chna and in other Asian countires, but the recent lifting of the official ban on consoles in China brings a chance for Microsoft to come out of the shadows. According to the Wall Street Journal, “China Telecom will be the exclusive carrier partner of the Xbox One in China and consumers will be able ‘to enjoy the games and entertainment experience at home’ by signing up for the company’s broadband subscription contract, the carrier said in a statement Thursday.”

China Telecom has been buys expanding its service offerings beyond it basic voice plans for phones to a wide range of higher value services, like e-commerce, online learning and medical services, via its broadband connections. China Telecom does have over 100 million broadband subscribers, so there’s a solid market base for Microsoft to go after.

The price of the console in China hasn’t been announced. Microsoft will be producing the consoles in Shanghai, under an agreement with Best TV announced earlier this year. Clearly price will be a major hurdle for Microsoft to overcome in China, but there’s now a substantial middle class in China with a fair amount of disposable income. What sort of games will be available on the Xbox One in China> How well will these games be localized. Will Microsoft try to bring some of the biggest hits on PC in China to the Xbox One? So far, Microsoft isn’t saying, but perhaps we’ll hear more as the launch date approaches.

Source: Wall Street Journal