Periscope’s Highs And Lows

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Periscope has been making the rounds on the live-streaming front for a few weeks now, ever since Twitter effectively introduced it last month. But just how good is it when it comes to sharing certain moments within a user’s life That’s exactly what Jack Smith IV intended to find out.

As reported by Adweek, the technology reporter for Observer’s Innovation blog decided to experiment with the app, to see what kind of audience he could generate, as well as any problems that managed to get in the way on his journey to become a “Periscope Jesus” of sorts.

A starting stream managed to acquire 200 viewers in a short time frame, but it jettisoned up to 3,000 views with a following one, in which he requested users to “ask me anything” over a two and a half hour time period. Similar to live Reddit AMA interviews, this could be a format that some could use on the promotional front in the months ahead.

As far as Periscope’s effectiveness is concerned, its biggest factor is interactivity, according to Smith. “What streaming apps are really for is interaction, and as much of it as possible,” he noted in his report. “The appeal for most viewers is that ability to reach through the stream and affect you from their remote perches, hidden behind their phones thousands of miles away. If a broadcaster never responds to comments, that person begins to hemorrhage followers.”

Intimacy can also play a big part with streams. “A lot of times, they want to go deep, partially because it’s exciting to elicit intimate statements from a stranger but partially because familiarity is why they keep coming back,” he noted. “Many Periscope broadcasters engage with commenters, but leave their viewers disappointed when they don’t go deep, have strong opinions or answer sensitive questions. And their audiences turn on them for it.”

That’s not to say it’s a perfect experience on all fronts, though. Smith quickly noted that organic content discovery is bad at the moment, and that Periscope isn’t an ideal format for long-term interactions with others, unlike, say, a Twitch stream. The app also has mild performance issues, and sharing content with others isn’t quite as easy as it seems.

While Periscope still has a ways to go when it comes to gaining speed in the social media world, it’s definitely getting somewhere, especially with certain brands trying the format out. It’s just a matter of time to see if the live-streaming format can catch on with more audiences – or if streamers have something to offer.

Early Reactions To Apple Watch Are Here

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The Apple Watch is just a few days away from making its debut on the market, ushering in a new age of wearable tech for the company. But does that mean it’s likely to be embraced by the public

While it will no doubt be a sales hit upon launch, some early reviews for the device have provided a mixed bag in response, with positive feedback mixed in with some “dark spots”.

VentureBeat has compiled a number of reviews for the device from tech-based journalists, and while we won’t repost them all here, we will recap some of the highlights – and lowlights – from said reviews.

First off, Joshua Topolski of Bloomberg Business was quick to talk about how the public will easily want the device, even though it has its setbacks. “I’m in a meeting with 14 people, in mid-sentence, when I feel a tap-tap-tap on my wrist…A version of this happens dozens of times throughout the day – for messages, emails, activity achievements, tweets and so much more. Wait a second. Isn’t the promise of the Apple Watch to help me stay in the moment, focused on the people around me and undisturbed by the mesmerizing void of my iPhone So why do I suddenly feel so distracted,” he wrote.

The Verge‘s Nilay Patel was quick to note the Apple Watch’s appeal as a mainstream product, but also complained about its speed. “The Apple Watch, as I reviewed it for the past week and a half, is kind of slow,” he said. “There’s no getting around it, no way to talk about all of its interface ideas and obvious potential and hints of genius without noting that sometimes it stutters loading notifications.”

The New York Times tech writer Farhad Manjoo admits he “fell hard” for the device in terms of its features, but isn’t really for “tech novices.” “There’s a good chance it will not work perfectly for most consumers right out of the box, because it is best after you fiddle with various software settings to personalize use,” he said.

In addition, says Manjoo, some apps just didn’t work. “The Uber app didn’t load for me, the Twitter app is confusing and the app for Starwood Hotels mysteriously deleted itself and then hung up on loading when I reinstalled it.”

Other criticisms went a little deeper, like Patel noting that both hands are needed to operate the watch – which takes away from its practical use altogether. “You simply can’t one-hand the Apple Watch…because it’s a tiny screen with a tiny control wheel strapped to your wrist, you have to use both hands to use it, and you have to actually look at it to make sure you’re hitting the right parts of the screen.”

Then Topolsky noted that its use as a watch is in question. “I’ve found the experience somewhat inferior to that with a conventional wristwatch, due to one small issue,” he said. “The Apple Watch activates its screen only when it thinks you’re looking at it…Think about the way people normally look at their watches, then make it twice as aggressive.”

Other complaints with reviews include it not being a very good communications device, isn’t necessarily fashionable (including the limited edition gold model for $10,000) and can be incredibly hard to navigate with a small interface. One critic, the Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern, even noted that waiting for an improved model is the best way to go. “The body is bound to get thinner; the edges could stand to be less rounded. It isn’t just the aesthetics either. Soon, we won’t have to charge the battery every night, the software won’t ever get stutter and those health sensors will get even more accurate. When was the last time Apple didn’t improve first-gen hardware’s performance while making it sleeker ”

More criticisms can be found here, but it’ll be interesting to see how the public reacts when the device goes on sale on April 24th.

Over 150 Million Americans Play Video Games

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Now more than ever, video games are a highly popular medium in the United States — and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has the numbers to back it up.

The company recently reported that over 150 million Americans play video games, according to a research study titled 2015 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry. In addition, other stats were also revealed, including the following:

  • 42 percent of Americans play video games regularly, or at least three hours per week
  • 56 percent of the most frequent gamers play with others
  • 54 percent play in multiplayer mode weekly
  • More than half of the most frequent game players say that video games help them connect with friends
  • About half indicate that video games enable them to spend time with family
  • 60 percent of parents whose children are gamers play computer and video games with them at least once a week
  • More than three-quarters of parents say they play with their children because it is fun for the entire family and an opportunity to socialize
  • 88 percent of parents whose children play games believe the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings for gamers are either very or somewhat helpful when it comes to choosing games for kids
  • The average game player is 35 years old
  • The most frequent female game player is, on average, 43 years old
  • Women 18 years-or-older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population than boys 18 years old or younger
  • On average, gamers have been playing for 13 years
  • Consumers spent more than $22.41 billion on game content, hardware and accessories in 2014
  • Four out of five American households have some form of device to play video games on

These stats indicate quite a shift in the industry more towards an older demographic, although some players seem to be taking part mainly because they kids are, and it’s easy to make a connection through their favorite games.

“Video games provide a social setting where family and friends come together to connect, learn and have fun,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. “The sheer number of people who regularly enjoy entertainment software and share those experiences with others underscores how video games have become ingrained in our culture.”

Gallagher was also quite to note the effectiveness of the ratings board, in terms of providing parents with details on certain content with games. “The ESRB is the gold standard for systems that for provide parents with guidance that allows them to make informed decisions,” he said.

More details are available in the full report here.

3D Mobile Ads Gaining Momentum

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Looking at a mobile display at an ad is one thing, but being immersed into an ad experience is another – and that’s an idea that some brands are considering as its technology expands.

A report from Adweek states that marketers are looking to virtual reality when it comes to creating a new ad experience for mobile devices. With the right presentation to go hand-in-hand with the technology, there’s no question that 3-D based advertising could make an impact – and draw in an audience that wants something deeper than the usual mobile ad.

“The mobile industry has kind of shifted to virtual reality – that’s what’s getting all the buzz,” said Jeremy Sigel, director of mobile for North America at Essence. “3D mobile ads are the gateway to virtual reality.”

Whiskey creator Jameson recently tried its hand at the format, posting a new video on its Instagram page that appears to be a shot glass (filled with Jameson) being slid over to someone in full 3D, with the glass staying in focus as it slides off the screen.

Ford recently gave it a shot as well, teaming up with Team Detroit and Amobee on a new campaign where users can swipe a finger across their mobile screen to get a full-on view of its latest vehicle, the 2014 F-150. The video is below, and it’s already seen a strong response, with purchase consideration up 40 percent and brand favorability increasing 20 percent.

Crackle’s James Smith On Being The Best Of Both Worlds In TV And Digital

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by Jessica Klein

With Crackle’s new “always on” approach, the network has started to see itself as beyond a TV alternative and more like a TV network in itself. Per the initiative, the Sony Pictures Entertainment digital network will begin streaming programming on its website from the moment you click to it. Like a television, there will always be something playing when you “switch it on,” which you can watch while scrolling through the network’s other viewing options. This seems to bring together the best of both worlds in terms of TV and internet viewing, but it also begs a few questions.

First, does this mark the next, logical step in digital video entertainment What does this mean for advertisers and viewers

We caught up with James Smith, the head of digital sales at PlayStation and Crackle, after the Crackle Upfront to take a stab at these questions. From the way he refers to Crackle as being “on TV,” you can see what the studio thinks about the future of the video content environment.

Keep reading…

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.

 

ESL’s Intel Extreme Masters Tournament Sets eSports Records

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If you needed more evidence that eSports is a growing global phenomenon, the record-setting numbers from the Intel Extreme Masters event in Katowice, Poland last month are the proof. On the third event day, the Intel Extreme Masters and ESL One live streams reached a peak concurrent viewership of over 1,000,000 on Twitch, breaking the Twitch record for the highest concurrent viewership across a single event. The estimated global peak, across both Twitch and Asian streaming platforms, lies at approximately 1.6 million peak concurrent viewers.

Foot traffic was recorded at over 104,000 as fans from all around the world cheered teams and players to victory from within the Spodek Arena and adjoining International Congress Centre. More than 73 million stream sessions were recorded across all broadcasts, as five champions from four different games were crowned in Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL Legendary Series and Intel Challenge Katowice competitions. Each of the competitions at the IEM Expo 2015 broke ESL records to become the most watched streams in their respective games.

League of Legends, StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft fans pushed not only stream numbers, but also YouTube numbers to record-breaking highs. The ESL YouTube channel celebrated a total of over one billion minutes watched, as content from Katowice brought in more than five million views in the ten days that followed.

Michal Blicharz, managing director of Pro Gaming at ESL, spoke with [a]listdaily about the event and its record-breaking engagement.

Congratulations on setting records for streaming and attendance! What factors led to this?

A major factor was also the track record we have had with Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice in 2013 and 2014. The expectation was set that the ESL would deliver a show that’s nothing short of spectacular and that has already built up a lot of hype for the event.  In Poland, the IEM already enjoys cult status and that helped. There were queues of thousands of people outside the arena at 9am in the morning for a show that started at 1pm.

All of the above adds up to the fundamentals that you have to deliver: an amazing experience for the fans and an improvement on what you did previously. Finally, you have to rely on the players to deliver captivating matches and take the audience’s excitement to the next level. We had all that in Katowice.

What does this event and its popularity say to you about the future of eSports?

We’re reaching audiences that are too large to ignore any more. TV stations are looking on with interest asking themselves how eSports grew so big right under their noses. Our mega events like IEM in Katowice, ESL One Frankfurt and others are definitely what the future of eSports will look like. You will see more and more events, not just tournaments, built around eSports and attracting tens of thousands of fans. The biggest competitions will end up on television and TV stations will no doubt try to either find or build regular content such as weekly leagues.

What’s the next big event for ESL, and do you expect to reach this same level of engagement with viewers?

The next mega event will be in ESL One Frankfurt for DotA 2 in June and then ESL One Cologne for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in August. Those events will punch on a heavyweight world championship level for their respective games. ESL One events operate on a different model as they feature a single game at a time. As such, they can’t be compared to IEM which groups several tournaments under one roof.

How do the sponsors of the event, particularly Intel, feel about the success of this tournament and of ESL?

The success of the IEM is not only a success for ESL but for Intel as well.  They’ve supported us since day one of IEM in 2006, back when professional gaming was a side show at a tech convention and we cheered when we had 20,000 people tuned in to a match.  They have the right to be as proud as we are right now.

Are there other games that you are looking at adding to ESL events, and if so, which ones?

We are looking at every game that is fun to watch and has a vibrant community. I can’t speak specifically about titles and genres as I would spoil what’s coming for the next Intel Extreme Masters season, but there are some new names on the white boards at the offices indeed.

Web site: www.eslgaming.com
Twitter: @ESL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ESL

 

 

 

 

‘Halo 5’ Podcast ‘HUNT The TRUTH’ Hits 1 Million Listens On Soundcloud

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Those who have been talking about the return of podcasts and how brands could potentially leverage them need to pay attention to Halo 5‘s campaign.

Listeners have been tuning in to Hunt the Truth, a weekly podcast released each Sunday on Soundcloud {link no longer active} and iTunes {link no longer active}, paying attention for the next big reveal leading up to the game’s big release on October 27th. And boy, have they been getting psyched to look for clues about the story.

The episodes go in-depth on the lore surrounding Microsoft’s popular sci-fi shooter and is centered around an investigative journalist’s reporting on the character Master Chief.

Along with the trailers, the Halo 5 campaign has seen massive digital reach. Today, the Ayzenberg-produced Hunt the Truth podcast has hit 1 million listens on Soundcloud alone, now 3 episodes in. It is #1 on iTunes for video game podcasts and has been named by VentureBeat as the second most talked-about ad campaign online {link no longer active}. The #HunttheTruth {link no longer active} hashtag has been a popular one, too, as the storyline is ripe for analysis, throwing fans of the game franchise for a loop.

The resurgence of the podcast is indeed here {link no longer active}.

Newzoo/Overwolf March 2015 PC Game Rankings

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Having fought hard to claim Rank 2 in the February 2015 Top 20 Core PC Games Rankings Minecraft (Mojang) the title defended its ascension into March 2015, with League of Legends (Riot) and World of Tanks (Wargaming) holding Rank 1 and Rank 3 respectively. It’s looking more and more likely that League of Legends will continue to claim Rank 1 well into April 2015, which would make it officially the King of the Top 20 Core PC Games Rankings for over a year.

As we move further down the list we see DotA 2 (Valve) fall one place to Rank 8 with Arma 3(Bohemia Interactive) taking Rank 7. With the release of the “BlackRock Mountain” expansion we see Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (Blizzard) move up 1 place (as predicted in February 2015) to Rank 9. After rising an impressive 7 spots to Rank 9 in February 2015, Diablo III (Blizzard) has only declined by 1 place to Rank 10, a slight decline not entirely unexpected after the hype of its new content season had begun to wear off.

Perhaps most impressive of all is indie darling Robocraft (Freejam Games), who having moved up 1 place to Rank 15, has now maintained a place in to the Top 20 Core PC Games Rankings for 5 months.

Blizzard’s MOBA makes its Rankings Debut
Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard) is a new entry on our Rankings, achieving Rank 19 in March 2015. The title entered closed beta on the 13th January 2015 and by the end of February 2015 had over 9 million players signed up to play. As a MOBA with less of an emphasis on individual skill and more “casual /team friendly” the title has received a mixed reaction from the eSports community. While many argue the title’s friendly approach to the casual crowd erodes the competitive spirit underpinning MOBA’s, others see the title as making MOBA’s more accessible to the general gaming community. Time will tell if the title has what it takes to go against the likes of DotA 2 and League of Legends in the Top 20 Rankings but the outlook is good given the fact it’s achieved this rank whilst still in the Beta stage. Joining Heroes of the Storm as a Rankings newcomer was PayDay 2 (505 Games) which came in at Rank 18 in March 2015.

Smite Instability
In December 2014 Smite rose an impressive 11 places to Rank 7 on our Core PC Rankings, dethroning DotA 2 in the process. It’s World Championship prize pool ($2.5 Million) became the second largest in eSports history. All seemed bright until the January 2015 data revealed Smite fell 5 places to Rank 12, its previous rise seemingly fueled solely by the interest generated by their World Championships. Last month Smite appeared to have stabilized, rising 1 place to Rank 11, but unfortunately our newest data reveals this wasn’t to be the case.

Eerily repeating it’s January 2015 decline Smite has again fallen 5 places to Rank 16 in our March 2015 Top 20 Core PC Games Rankings. This is a rather disappointing result for Hi Rez especially when you consider that it held it’s official one year launch anniversary  {link no longer active} during March. It remains to be seen if Smite can once again shoot up the rankings in the coming months but the road ahead is difficult, especially when compared to the overall Rankings stability of the established MOBA titles like DotA 2 and League of Legends, as well as the newest contender on the block: Heroes of the Storm.

MMO Roundup
Star Wars: The Old Republic (EA) moved up 2 places to Rank 12, a healthy sign given the fact it fell 3 places just last month. World of Warcraft (Blizzard) and Guild Wars 2 (NCSoft) remained stable at Rank 5 and Rank 6 respectively, unchanged from February 2015. As we reported in detail last month ArcheAge’s (Trion Worlds) rough treatment at the hands of the community continues into March 2015 with the title falling another 3 places to land at Rank 20. While there might be some positive changes in the next month, May 2015 could mark the disappearance of ArcheAge from the Top 20 altogether.

About Overwolf
Overwolf is a customizable in-game overlay platform that has been installed in over 8 million PCs. This community of hardcore PC gamers are consistently making their own apps within the Overwolf platform and sharing them. Why Because it’s super simple and it enhances the gameplay experience of anyone’s favorite title in a personal way. From in-game chat systems to customized controls, streaming or video capture, Overwolf allows users to implement their own visions into these games and do so in a timely manner.

About Newzoo
Newzoo is the leading global market research firm focused purely on the games market. The company provides its clients with a mix of primary consumer research, transactional data and financial analysis across all continents, screens and business models. It is also known for actively sharing a variety of insights by means of free trend reports, infographics, blogposts and monthly rankings. Newzoo’s clients include Tencent, SEGA, Logitech, Wizards of the Coast, Nvidia, Microsoft, EA, Coca-Cola and Visa/PlaySpan.

‘LEGO Dimensions’ Enters Toy/Game Hybrid Market

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LEGO’s throwing its pointy little hat into the toy/game hybrid ring with LEGO Dimensions, which is being produced by a partnership between Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group. The game merges physical LEGO brick building with interactive console game play along with a myriad of characters from the many classic film properties in the Warner Bros. library. It looks like a serious competitor to the likes of Activision’s Skylanders and Disney Infinity.

 

“When kids play with LEGO bricks, they build beyond the singular brands, intermixing all of their favorite characters and universes, and we have come up with a way for players to experience that in games,” said Jon Burton, Founder and Creative Director, TT Games. “Now for the first time in a videogame, LEGO fans can play in the virtual world and in the real world – combining everything without restrictions. Imagine putting LEGO Gollum from The Lord of the Rings behind the wheel of the LEGO DeLorean Time Machine in New Ninjago City – the creative play is endless.”

The game is arriving September 27 this year for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, PlayStation 4, and the Wii U. The Starter Pack will include the LEGo Toy Pad (which allows players to transport special LEGo minifigures and other objects into the game), bricks to build the LEGO Gateway, three minifigures, including LEGO Batman from DC Comics, LEGO Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings and Wyldstyle from The LEGO Movie, plus the LEGO Batmobile.

 

 

 

 

Of course, more packs are on the way, drawing on such well-known brands as Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, and The Wizard of Oz. Clearly LEGO is hoping for some of the brand magic to rub off, in the same way that Disney Infinity has capitalized on the multitude of iconic characters and movies that Disney controls. What remains to be seen is how much marketing effort goes into this product line, especially at the crucially important retail level. Both Activision and Disney have invested heavily in store displays that feature interactive capability to try out the hybrid toys, and certainly that’s been an important factor in the success of both of the product lines.There’s also the issue of retail signage, and the sheer amount of shelf space commanded by the large product lines both Activision and Disney already possess. Of course, LEGO starts with a strong relationship with major retail chains and great shelf position already – will the company leverage this for LEGO Dimensions That seems like smart marketing and a likely outcome.

The battle for the increasingly valuable toy-game hybrid market is only going to intensify this Christmas. Don’t forget that Nintendo will certainly have even more new Amiibos, as well as new compatible video games, to compete for retail attention and consumer dollars. This category is already in the billions of dollars, and thus you can expect the marketing battle to be an intense one.

 

 

Digital TV Advertising Changing In The Future

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Right now, on-demand video seems to be gaining in popularity — but, according to The Diffusion Group, it won’t entirely stay that way.

The report, posted by DigiDay, indicates that digital television will be growing, with programming through “over the top” (OTT) connected devices gaining popularity. Popular shows like SportsCenter and AMC’s The Walking Dead viewed through the likes of Apple TV and Chromecast could lead the charge.

The group reports that legacy TV advertising revenue will drop to $47.5 billion by 2018, while OTT-based TV advertising will increase to $31.5 billion in the same period.

“OTT advertising is still lumped in with YouTube videos and ads on sites that have video,” said Alan Wolk, senior analyst for The Diffusion Group and author of the report, titled Future of OTT TV Advertising. “By 2020, give or take, there will be no distinction between OTT and TV buying. If I’m Kraft, I will buy women 18 to 25 who are watching Scandal and that ad will show up through OTT or set-top boxes. They’ll be bought and sold together.”

As you can see from the chart above, legacy TV advertising is still pretty high at nearly $60 billion. But the 20 percent drop in just three years’ time is too big not to notice.

By comparison, OTT-based advertising will grow nearly five times over where it currently sits now, rising from $8.4 billion for this year all the way to $31.5 billion by 2018.

The proof, as provided in the result, lies in viewership. Last year, OTT viewing by U.S. consumers sat at 3.6 hours a week. However, as you can see, that number will nearly double this year, going up to 6.9 hours a week. And there’s no stopping its growth from there, as by 2020, it’ll nearly get to 20 hours a week.

Part of this consideration isn’t just from on-demand items through devices. YouTube clips also count in OTT viewership, although it seems viewers are more interested in longer content. A report from FreeWheel indicates that 91 percent of OTT ad views occur through content that lasts longer than 20 minutes, or with live broadcasts that last longer than that.

This fourth chart, compiled by FreeWheel, shows what kind of ad views come from content duration. While those with smartphones, tablets and desktops seem to prefer videos that go shorter than 20 minutes, those who have an OTT-enabled device (like Roku or Apple TV) tend to watch content longer than that, either pre-recorded or live. These numbers could change across the board for devices as more companies introduce OTT-related services, like the recently launched HBO Now.

Finally, the last chart shows the rate of annual change in OTT ad revenue for the United States, and although the growth seems to taper off over the coming years (with 2015 being the strongest at 133 percent), it’s still growth nevertheless — which means that on-demand services and Internet-based video could soon overshadow regular TV programming.

The “TV Everywhere” boom is happening, and in just a few years’ time, we’ll see just how substantial it’s going to get.

Image source