DeStorm Power Tells How He Made Vine A Creator’s Business

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DeStorm Power basically invented the business of video creating on Vine. The techniques for making successfully funny, smart videos with a six-second time constraint are specific and, when you hear them coming from Power, sound obvious. However, the incredibly popular Vine (and don’t forget YouTube) creator figured them out by trial and error, which he explained to Rhett & Link this week on “Ear Biscuits.”

Like YouTube, Vine didn’t start out as a platform where entertainers could monetize their widely enjoyed content. Because its videos only run for six seconds (okay, 6.5 to be exact), users didn’t initially conceive of the app as a place to host anything complex enough to tell stories, including Power. Eventually, he began seeing Vine videos that verged on storytelling and seized the idea. “We brought the skits to Vine,” he explained.

“We” likely means himself and KingBach, a member of his current Viner “crew” (which includes about 10 creators in total, including Melvin Gregg and Klarity). KingBach actually started making skits on Vine “a few days” before Power, and it turned into the two challenging each other for followers. Power said that he started out with about 3,000 “by default, because my YouTube was big.”

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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 View-Master’s New Lease On Life As A VR Device

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The beloved and retro View-Master seemed quite ripe for an update. After all, the toy was for many the first exposure to any kind of “augmented experience.”

On Monday, the Internet had been a-buzz with the announcement that Google and Mattel had partnered up to give new life to View-Master, and we were left to wonder until today what that update would be like.

 

One Exec’s Indie Game Journey Begins

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The rise of the indie game developers over the past few years hasn’t just been about kids coming out of college and starting game development. It’s also about veterans of gaming who have made the journey from large companies back down to small groups or even lone wolf status. One such journey has been taken by veteran Rod Humble, who released his game Cults & Daggers on Steam today for $29.99.

Rod Humble

Cults & Daggers is, according to the press release description, “a sprawling and complex turn-based strategy game created and developed exclusively by renowned game designer Rod Humble. The game delves into the tumultuous time between the death of Buddha and the birth of Christ when mystical cults dominated the ancient religious and societal landscape.”

“Without a doubt Cults & Daggers caters to a specific audience, one that enjoys complex and high chaos situations where you try and navigate your faith in a tumultuous world,” said Humble, CEO of Chaphat LLC. “This game is a passion project for me which I designed and built on my own. I’ve read quite extensively about the time period and thought that the subject matter, the rise of ancient religious cults and societies, was fascinating and worth exploring.”

The game deals with an interesting historical period, adding in fantastic elements and giving the players plenty of strategy to consider. The description provided is definitely different in scope than most games: “As Cults & Daggers opens, you learn that the Old Gods are plotting to destroy a planet they can no longer rule, and you are tasked with creating your own religious faith to fight a secret war for the soul of the world. You’ll have to recruit loyal disciples throughout the Mediterranean in order to spread your faith by preaching to the masses and converting noble families. Along the way, you’ll have to deal with spies, assassinations, martyrs, occult forces, prophets and blasphemers, all while battling the Old Gods and other rising cults for the hearts and minds of the world.”

Humble’s history in the games business is extensive. Prior to starting Chaphat, Mr. Humble served as the Chief Executive Officer of Second Life creator Linden Lab. Before Linden Lab, he served as Executive Vice President of the EA Play label of Electronic Arts and oversaw the best-selling PC game franchise of all-time, The Sims.

Humble’s 25-year career in game development includes work on more than 200 games and in 2009 he was ranked #2 on the annual list of the “Hot 100 Game Developers” from gaming publication, Edge. Prior to his work at Electronic Arts, Humble served as Vice President of Product Development at Sony Online Entertainment (now Daybreak Game Company) for one of the first successful, massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), EverQuest.

The [a]listdaily spoke with Humble to find out why he’s created this game and where he intends to go from here.

 

Why did you go from executive roles to hands-on game creation?

I wanted to make some games that I knew nobody else was going to make. Personal ones that I wanted to play. I was in the fortunate position that I could fund myself and do that. Taking some time to get back to hands on coding has been great fun!

You know how hard it is for games to get discovered these days. What’s your strategy for marketing your game to overcome the discoverability problem?

I don’t know the answer , I am not sure anyone does. The best thing I can do is make something unique and new and then hope like minded gamers will notice and seek it out. I will say, though, that Steam’s suggestions list seems to be very helpful when it comes to linking to games of the same genre.

Why this particular game, with the historical setting and strategy focus, and why this choice of platform?

I love this era and setting. It is fascinating to delve into this axial age when the world was teeming with change and chaos. When I read the words “ancient mystery cults” in the text books it was just begging to have a game made about it! The platform choice was easy, big complex strategy games natural home is PC/Mac I think.

You’ve gone with an up-front pricing model rather than some variant of free-to-play. Is that entirely due to the nature of the game design, or is it because you see problems with the free-to-play model?

It is the nature of the game. This is a big game and I want a customer to buy it and be able to play the whole thing. I will also be releasing at least one free expansion pack.

What’s next for you and Chaphat? Will you add on to Cults & Daggers in some way, or work on something new?

For a while it will be Cults & Daggers support and future content pushes. After that I have some ideas for other games I would like to explore. It is a joy just making games by yourself, I would like to do it for a while longer yet.

App Downloads Snag Fans Kanye West Tickets

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Want to get the attention of fans Offer a free ticket to a concert through a special promotion. That’s certainly worked for Adidas.

PSFK has reported that the popular rap artist has offered an interesting exchange, providing a free show to a limited audience in New York in exchange for promotion through a special downloadable app provided by Adidas, as a tie-in for a forthcoming limited edition sneaker that will be released on Valentine’s Day.

Here’s how the promotion works. Fans that downloaded the special app, created an account, set up their New York location via Geotag and secured their sneaker purchase – then showed it to the proper folks at the Adidas store – were able to score a ticket to a special concert by the artist.

Such a crossover deal is a win-win for everyone. Fans are able to see one of the most popular artists around; West gets exposure with his new line of fashion wear; and Adidas benefits with a huge social outreach with the special Confirmed app, as well as drumming up attention for the special sneaker line, with a tie-in with West.

The event, dubbed the “Yeezy 750 boost” line, tied in with the official unveiling of the shoe line, which should happen this weekend leading up to the concert. It’s a unique way of electronically reaching out to fans, rather than the traditional means of advertising – and it’s a step in the right direction for the team at Adidas.

While many traveled a great distance to secure the shoes and the ticket – some even from New Jersey – others used it to their advantage, as one particular student was able to grab up to 12 tickets and secure a pre-order for “Yeezy 750 boost,” but intends to “flip” them for a sale of up to $850.

Still, you can’t argue with good promotion – and this will no doubt pay off in the long run for both West and Adidas. Those interested in the Confirmed App can check it out here {link no longer active}.

Creating Virtual Works Of Art From Legos

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Legos are great toys. They allow people with vivid imaginations to create whatever they desire, be it the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars saga, a skyscraper, or maybe even something bigger, provided they have the time and effort to put it together. But what if you could turn your physical creation into something virtually spectacular Thanks to Lego X, you can.

Wired explained how the program works, coming from the same team that put together the Oculus Rift program Gravity Sketch, which allows people to draw in 3D through the magic of augmented reality. With Lego X, users are able to scan their Lego creations and thus create a virtual building, one that they can tweak to perfection using the program.

The bricks utilized with the program are read using a sensor and gyroscope, allowing the toys to interact wirelessly with one another so that scanning is accurate. As the bricks are put together, the rendering appears on the Lego X program on a tablet, in real time. Once the file is put in place digitally, it can be modified to remove the nubs from the bricks, thus creating a smooth surface – and a structure that can look more lifelike that anything that could be created out of Legos. Users can also add little things, like windows, corners and other additions to make their buildings even more lifelike.

The idea of building something really inspired the team. “Our understanding of tools and how they related to the material were transforming is something that dates back to almost stone ages,” said Oluwaseyi Sosanya, one of the designers behind Lego X. “That’s our dream vision for how it would be used.”

With such a tool, designers and creators can find a new outlet in which to build upon their dreams, and then improve upon them virtually for showcasing purposes – or to perhaps even create a resume that would be a big hit with would-be employers.

For now, the program is just in experimental phase, with no due date for production. Still, the team is onto something here, and hopefully Lego’s squad is paying attention and will put this to good use for the future. You can check out the scanning process in action here.

 

Twitter Adds Niche To Its Growing Stable

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Twitter is always looking for new ways to expand its reach in the social media world, as indicated by its recent business moves it’s taken, including several revenue-generating measures. This week, it continued to expand on those horizons, adding another agency to the fold.

The company announced earlier this week, via CNET, that it has acquired a New York start-up called Niche, which provides connection with social media superstars and brands in an effort to create a new wealth of sponsored content. It works along the same lines of Tumblr’s Creators project, working as a talent agency that provides better outreach for certain talents that know their stuff on the social media front.

Although Twitter didn’t disclose just how much it invested in the company (it’s rumored to be worth about $30 million), it did explain its interest in it, as “a provider of software, community and monetization services for the growing creative community.”

More and more advertisers are dipping into deals with social media superstars, and this deal with Niche will help Twitter make the most out of said business proposition. “The talent and creativity across the entire media landscape is incredible, and we hope this acquisition continues to inspire people to create great content,” the company explained in a recent blog post.

With the boost in social media, the deal with Niche could also create new revenue circles for Twitter, in an effort to get it back to profitability. This could easily push it past its previously reported quarter of profit, and provide a possibility of getting new consumers in the fold as well.

Niche had previously worked with Twitter on a Vine video, one that was inspired enough to create a full-length commercial featuring several of them interconnected together. You can check out that commercial below, which has plenty of pop, especially Zach King, who creates a glass of orange juice with his tablet. (Don’t try this at home, kids.)

 

‘World of Warcraft’ Goat Raises Good Money

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When special pets are offered through popular PC games, it seems players have no problem buying them in droves. That’s certainly the case for Argi, an intergalactic goat pet that was offered in Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, which avid fans snapped up in a heartbeat, while at the same time helping out the Red Cross’ Ebola relief fund.

Eurogamer has reported that the pet, which was offered for virtual purchase a while back for $10, has sold like crazy, with 100 percent of sales proceeds going to benefit the Red Cross. In all, Argi (the goat in question) has managed to raise a whopping $1.9 million for the fund, indicating that, once again, gamers have no problem giving back to a good cause.

The virtual animal has no limitations either, as players can utilize Argi with any given player in Warcraft, whether it’s a current character that’s leveled up or a new character that’s just getting started on his or her quest. So it really pays off for players as well.

“Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of World of Warcraft players around the world who purchased the Argi pet, we’ve raised a total of more than 1.9 million USD to support the ongoing Ebola relief efforts in Africa by the Red Cross,” said the company in a post. “In December, we announced that for every Argi purchased by December 31, 2014, 100 percent of the adoption fee would be going to assist in aiding in the fight against this deadly disease — and the community embraced this cute little intergalactic nibbler, helping out a great cause in the process. Thanks again to everyone who helped make a difference.”

Who knew that a magical goat would be able to make such an impact And for the players that missed out on Argi initially, don’t worry — it’s still available for purchase in World of Warcraft now.

SuperData January 2015: Legacy Publishers Triumph

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Analysis from SuperData CEO, Joost van Dreunen, follows:

  • Legacy publishers beat market estimates with digital success
  • Mobile marketing around grows up, gets noticed
  • Valve doubles down on user-generated content
  • Heroes of the Storm is ready for prime time with 9 million users

Digital games reached $1.1 billion in sales in the month of January, driven by strong tailwinds of the end-of-year rush. Downloadable content on PC and consoles continued the market’s momentum, totaling $372 million in sales, up 18 percent from January a year ago. Capcom earned itself an important success with Resident Evil HD Remaster coming in third as top-selling full game download on console.

Legacy publishers beat market estimates with digital success
Digital revenue reigned supreme among legacy publishers during this quarter’s earnings calls. Electronic Arts reported $693 million in digital revenues over the last quarter, more than 25 percent above financial analyst expectations. Similarly, Activision benefited from a powerful digital combo of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the release of its Warlords of Draenor expansion and a reported 16 million registered users for Destiny. Finally, Take-Two reported a 64 percent increase in net revenue from digital content to $217 million as earnings from virtual currency sales, DLC and online games grew.

Mobile marketing around grows up, gets noticed
Digital marketing in mobile games is growing up. The combination of a lower than expected cost-per-install around the holiday season and not one, but three titles advertising during the SuperBowl are signs that the industry has changed from a year ago. The combined spending of Ucool ($2.25 million), Machine Zone ($4.5 million) and Supercell ($9 million) on their ads triggered a flurry of buzz both in the industry and among consumers. Following a record $405 million in mobile game spending in December, the segment slightly declined in January.

Valve doubles down on user-generated content
Valve launches the Steam Inventory Service beta and expands Steam Workshop. Steam Inventory Service will help developers create virtual items that can be unlocked or purchased and can then be sold or traded in the Steam Marketplace. Virtual items form the bulk of downloadable content revenue for digital PC, which earned $94 million in January and grew by 13% year-over-year. Steam has also expanded the Steam Workshop, a tool for user-generated content (UGC), to include third-party games Chivalry: Medieval Warfare and Dungeon Defenders: Eternity. Since its 2011 debut, 1,500 Steam Workshop contributors have earned $57 million by selling virtual items for Valve titles like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Moreover, MMOs like Everquest Next, City of Heroes and Star Trek Online have since adopted similar UGC tools and markets.

Heroes of the Storm is ready for prime time
After a month of beta testing, Activision/Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm has garnered 9 million players, positioning it to become the second or third highest grossing game of its kind at launch. The upcoming free-to-play title resembles MOBAs like League of Legends and DotA 2, and could debut with estimated monthly revenues between $5 and $10 million. While the publisher’s subscription-based World of Warcraft is still going strong with 10 million current subscribers, the decision to launch another free-to-play title suggests even Blizzard is reluctant to pursue paid subscribers anymore. Free-to-play MMOs in the US grossed $137.2 million this January, a 13 percent increase from the same time last year. On the other hand, MMOs with paid subscriptions remain stagnant with only $53 million in US.

[a]listdaily Analysis
The relentless march of digital revenue shows up clearly, as EA transitions to making more money from digital than retail, and Activision looks poised to make that transition sometime this year. TakeTwo is behind the curve, but no doubt they’ll get there eventually as well. It’s still going to be a difficult transition to navigate for these traditional publisher, as van Dreunen points out in his open letter to EA’s CFO Blake Jorgenson.

While traditional publishers will still work hard to maintain good relations with traditional retailers, they will be aggressively pushing the digital part of their business. It just makes good sense, as Activision’s success with Heroes of the Storm shows very well. That title also shows the power of a well-established brand and IP, as the characters in Heroes of the Storm are popular because of Blizzard’s long history and huge audience. While the game is certainly a good one, it’s also much farther along than it would be if all of the characters in the game were brand-new ones. The popularity of Blizzard’s IP and characters from Warcraft and Starcraft and Diablo are paying off for the company in a big way. That’s one advantage that EA lacks, since the company’s longest-running franchises are either based on licenses (like Madden and FIFA) or they aren’t really character-based (Battlefield hasn’t developed iconic characters).

BitTorrent Moves Forward With Original Content

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A few months ago, BitTorrent made the move into original content territory, announcing that it would take on the likes of Netflix and Hulu with its own original content. It’s already announced one program, Children of the Machine, that’s on the way, and today it moves forward even more with a new partnership.

TechCrunch has reported that BitTorrent has teamed up with Rapid Eye Studios – the same team that’s producing Children – in an effort to identify, produce and distribute even more original video content for the company’s program, which is called BitTorrent Originals. The company hopes to reach out to an audience within the ages 14-25 market with these shows, although additional titles weren’t announced yet.

As part of the deal, part of BitTorrent’s Bundles team, which handles paid content for the site – will relocate to offices in Los Angeles, working closely with Rapid Eye. “It signals how serious we are about being a media company,” said a spokesperson for the company.

The move should shift BitTorrent away from what it’s usually known for, unlicensed content sharing that’s become a bit of a hassle in running. “This landmark deal with Marco (Weber, CEO of Rapid Eye) is a major milestone for us and an aggressive expansion into the media space for BitTorrent, Inc.” said Eric Klinker, CEO for BitTorrent, in a statement by the company. “In the last two years, we’ve become a trusted and valid channel for creators and publishers to reach a monthly global audience of 170 million fans directly. Expanding into the world of original content is a move that makes us a serious player in the media business, and takes us another step closer toward our goal: creating a sustainable digital future for creators of all kinds.”

There’s no word yet when the Originals program for BitTorrent will launch, but it appears to be set behind a Bundle “pay gate” model. From there, the content could be sold to other social channels. “All of those are possible,” said the spokesperson, when TechCrunch talked about the likes of Amazon and Netflix.

DEW: Expect Maker Studios-Made Disney Videos

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by Sahil Patel

When Maker Studios first engaged in acquisition talks with Disney, its YouTube network was doing 4 billion views per month; that number grew to 5.5 billion when the deal closed and now stands at over 11.5 billion — and yet, almost a year after the acquisition, very little of that viewership can be attributed to content produced by Maker or its network on behalf of Disney.

Expect that to change in 2015, according to Maker Studios president Ynon Kreiz. Speaking during a session at the annual Digital Entertainment World expo in Los Angeles, Kreiz said, going forward, more videos from Maker and its network will make use of characters and assets owned by Disney, including those from Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar. “We expect to activate the great IP from the House of Disney,” said Kreiz.

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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.