Lionsgate is no stranger to film success, having produced a number of blockbusters like The Hunger Games films and Now You See Me amongst others. Now, it’s ready to take on the gaming world.
The Hollywood studio has announced that it will partner with Millennium Films producer Avi Lerner and game developer Fifth Journey to produce its first mobile game, based on the Expendables series. The films, which feature Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other action stars kicking butt and taking names, have managed to gross nearly $800 million worldwide across three theatrical releases – so there’s definitely some appeal there for a mobile action game.
Lionsgate president of interactive ventures and games Peter Levin stated that the team is hoping “to expand the universe of The Expendables” with the release.
Games are a great way to spread the message with action-based film releases, according to Levin, and the outreach of a popular franchise is a great way to hook fans into the mobile world. Previous games like The Hunger Games: Panem Rising have proven that, through a key partnership with Kabam. But now, it appears Lionsgate is ready to tackle the mobile world head-on.
Fifth Journey will bring its “development and publishing savvy” to The Expendables game, with Gameloft veteran Eric Tan heading up the team. He’s very familiar with bringing film franchises to the mobile front, having worked on games based on Iron Man 3, Ice Age and Despicable Me. He believes the team has “all the ingredients” needed to find success with the Expendables mobile game.
There’s no word yet on when the game will release, but it’s likely to arrive sometime next year for iOS and Android devices alike.
After making over $1.35 billion at the box office (and $565 million of that is from the U.S. alone), one would think that Jurassic World would be getting the biggest promotional push from Universal Pictures. But, in actuality, the studio is putting all its promotional strength behind the forthcoming Minions, a Despicable Me prequel that will be launching this weekend in theaters.
Deadline reportsthat the film studio has launched a number of promotions for the upcoming animated comedy, which features the gibberish-talking assistants looking for a new boss to serve — and finding it in a character voiced by Academy Award winning actress Sandra Bullock.
The campaign is, in fact, the largest one in the studios’ history, even considering the likes of films like Back To the Future and Furious 7. Many companies are on board with Minions-based promotions. McDonald’s, for instance, is a huge key partner, with Happy Meals and other promotions pointed at adults — not to mention Minions plastered on the walls, greeting customers as they come in (as seen above).
In addition, the Minions are making their impact in other markets. There are plush dolls and other toys that are sure to get a lot of sales going; Tic-Tacs and other food promotions feature Minions-like design; and Electronic Arts will soon launch Minions Paradise, a game that will no doubt see a huge push in the mobile division.
“The Minions have permeated pop culture so it has such a broad appeal from ages 3 to 84. We started hearing from brands (around the world), so it was a very coordinated global effort; we worked with all the local offices around the globe,” said David O’Connor Universal’s executive vice president of global brand marketing and partnerships.
The film was originally intended to release around the holidays last year, but Universal held off the release to summer 2015, in an effort to get more promotions for the film rolling in — and it’s a move that appears to be paying off. Everywhere consumers turn — even online — the Minions certainly can’t be missed.
O’Connor and his team spent a great deal of time putting together the campaign to promote the Minions, with a lot of work and planning going into choosing the right partners for the little guys. But it’s paid off with just the right level of advertising, and plenty of Minion-mania, as it were, appealing to consumers. Projections for the film indicate that it will have no trouble clearing out a $100 million-plus weekend — even with continuing attention going into Universal’s Jurassic blockbuster.
And the promotions kicked off well before the film’s release. Last month, Amazon teamed with Universal and Illumination Entertainment (the creators of Minions) to ship packages with special packaging featuring the characters from the film — a promotion that saw great success.
Other products — Twinkies shaped like Minions, cereals with special Minions goodies inside — guarantee that the little guys won’t be going away anytime soon. In fact, promotions like this could easily continue into the home release of the film later this year.
Some might see it as oversaturation — a few online users have expressed bitterness over Minion overkill — but the truth is, Universal has effectively put together a campaign that covers all forms of products, from toys to popular adult items (including men’s ties and sleepwear) to an appearance in an NBA Final-related ad, where a Minion went toe to toe with the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry. That ad can be seen below.
There’s just no stopping the Minions. They arrive in theaters tonight with special 6 PM showings, before the film opens in wide release this weekend.
Right now, the cycle in which films go from theaters to home video is a pretty healthy one, with about a three-to-four month gap between the two – sometimes longer, like with blockbuster films Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and Furious 7, which won’t debut until at least September.
However, a new pact could shorten that window significantly, if it goes into a full-on practice. The Hollywood Reporterrecently posted a story that noted a pairing between Paramount Pictures and AMC Theaters to make two upcoming films available digitally just 17 days after their original theatrical run. That’s not to say we’ll be seeing Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation on our screens by August, though, as the deal only pertains to two smaller films from the studio.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse are the two films in question, and users will be able to check these films out at home just two weeks over when they conclude their theatrical run at the chains, according to the deal. Canadian chain Cineplex is also taking part as well, with a deal to show the films at its locations before they head home.
With this deal, a Hollywood studio would have less frustration with organizing a home release for a film. As stated above, the usual practice requires a three-to-four month wait before a film can be released on home video. Could this change things in the long run Only time will tell.
“Exhibition for the first time was open-minded about evolving our business instead of sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring what is happening around us,” said Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, speaking with the Reporter. “This is all about changing the definition of theatrical windows. Instead of starting the countdown from when a movie opens, we are starting from when it ends.”
Only the two movie chains are on board at the moment, and, again, this won’t apply to bigger releases, like Rogue Nation, which opens at the end of the month.
AMC CEO and president Gerry Lopez added, “Consumers know theatrical movies from their ‘gotta see it now’ exclusive releases in theaters, but every movie is different, and a one-size-fits-all business model has never made sense. This model aligns the interests of consumers, filmmakers and exhibitors to maximize the theatrical experience first and then enable legitimate digital access.”
Keep in mind, though, that some independent studios have already taken the video-on-demand route for most of their films. Samuel L. Jackson’s action/thriller Big Game, for instance, is making the rounds on channels like iTunes and other on-demand services, along with a limited theatrical release. It seems to be a fairly good business practice – at least, for smaller films.
Gymnast turned DIY vlogger Meg DeAngelis, better known in YouTube circles as MayBaby, is set to star in a new series that will take her DIY to the next level. Through a partnership with home furnishing and lifestyle brand PBTeen and teen-focused digital network AwesomenessTV DeAngelis will host Revved Up Rooms, a weekly series debuting on AwesomenessTV YouTube channel on July 15 at 5 p.m. The new series will give DeAngelis an opportunity to dole out advice on room décor and furnishing, while throwing a spotlight on PBTeens youth focused product line.
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.
When you see the term “gaming accessories” you probably think of game controllers or headphones or perhaps a keyboard or a mouse designed for use with games. That’s missing an area that’s become a best-seller for Gunnar Optiks: Eyewear that designed to reduce and alleviate digital eye strain, something that gamers who spend long hours at the computer are certainly prone to develop. More than that, Gunnar glasses provide an array of stylish options, and even prescription eyewear, for gamers or anyone who spends long hours in front of screens.
Gunnar’s patented computer lens technology utilizes advanced materials and design to produce sharper, clearer vision, block glare, and reduce fatigue. The company was founded in 2007 by Joe Croft and Jennifer Michelsen, launching their first product in 2008. Gunnar is now the leader in computer eyewear, with 130+ patent claims and a line of products sold in 38 countries. Among the company’s products are a number of gaming styles, with branding created in partnership with several top gaming companies including Razer, Blizzard, and MLG.
Dave Oshry
Gunnar vice president of business development Dave Oshry took the time to answer some questions for [a]listdaily about the company’s gaming eyewear business.
Gunnar has brand partnerships with multiple game companies. What’s important to you in developing these brand partnerships and why?
It’s all about legitimacy. If Gunnar wants to continue to grow as a brand it’s vital for us to continue to partner with bigger brands in the gaming, technology and eyewear space. In developing these partnerships we look for strategic relationships that will benefit both companies in the long term and help us grow as a company. Our recent partnerships with Razer and Blizzard have only further legitimized our efforts to grow in the gaming and tech space. Plus it’s just a ton of fun getting to work with some of our favorite brands.
How have eSports affected your business, and how will Gunnar work with eSports going forward?
eSports has been a core factor in the success of Gunnar since our inception. eSports players were some of the first to adopt Gunnars and see the benefits of our technology. Our presence in eSports has only grown since then due to our partnerships with MLG and countless eSports organizations and players. We’ll continue to work with organizations like MLG as well as the eSports teams and players who appreciate the benefits of Gunnars and consider them to be a vital part of their success.
What are the best marketing tactics for Gunnar, and how have these been changing over time?
The best marketing tactics for Gunnar have always been the ones that are the most organic. Where we used to focus on big names and big marketing campaigns these days we focus on mostly social media and influential Gunnar partners and affiliates. We’ve seen the most success from simple word of mouth on our social channels and through cross promotion with our growing roster of partner companies in the industries we work in. But the occasional celebrity shout out or major Marvel movie appearance never hurts.
Who is the typical Gunnar buyer and where are they geographically? Where do you see the biggest opportunity for market expansion for Gunnar, either demographically or geographically?
The typical Gunnar buyer is a gamer, high end PC user, IT professional, hacker or digital artist. Actually, think of any profession that has you staring at screens for hours on end every day and you’ve got our typical Gunnar buyer. As the brand has grown so have the demographics of our buyers and their locations. While the majority of our business is in North America, we have a constantly growing international presence. I think the biggest opportunity for growth is in the emerging markets in China and Latin America as well as in our continued growth in Europe, Scandinavia and Oceania.
When I was down at PAX Australia last year the demand for Gunnars was insane — it was great to see how much the brand has grown in that region. Demographically I just want to see Gunnar continuing to grow from our core audience of hardcore gamers and tech users and into the mainstream. Over 70 percent of adults experience digital eye strain and so many still don’t know that we make eyewear to combat that strain and fatigue. The more people we can reach — the more people we can help — and the more we can grow as a result.
Do you see influencers on YouTube and Twitch as important parts of your marketing strategy How do you work with influencers at Gunnar?
Absolutely. YouTube and Twitch personalities are some of the most vital influencers for Gunnar. They have HUGE audiences that are engaged with them on a daily basis — plus the amount of traffic and sales they are capable of driving for a company like Gunnar is IMMENSE. At Gunnar we work with influencers as organically as possible. Sometimes they reach out to us, sometimes we reach out to them — usually they’ve heard about the product and want to try it for themselves, and we’re happy to let them. Sometimes they’re just happy to have a pair to wear and we’re happy for the free promotion — but some influencers want to take it to the next level and fully promote the product to their audience. In that case we’ll usually make them a Gunnar affiliate. Affiliates can have their own Gunnar discount code to share with their fans and they can earn a percentage from each referral sale. It’s a win/win for both us and the influencer and there are never any strings attached. It’s been a very successful program for us over the years and we’re always looking for more YouTubers and Twitch streamers who are interested in Gunnar. They’re some of the most fun and exciting people to work with.
What’s the most exciting trend that you saw at E3?
VR is absolutely the most exciting trend for me, personally. I’ve been sold ever since I first saw the Oculus Rift at Quake Con 2012 when it was basically a pair of ski goggles held together by duct tape. It’s crazy to see how far it’s come since then and how close we are to consumer versions of legitimate VR experiences. But how will they solve the issue of eye strain and fatigue inside VR headsets Only time will tell — but we’ve got some ideas.
Snapchat is no stranger to its unique but nevertheless successful business strategies, from its untargeted ads campaign to several other popular influences. So what’s next on the company’s list for greatness Celebrities.
DigiDay has recently reported that the company, which already has big names on board its mobile platform like Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner, that it’s focusing on bringing other celebrities on board. Rob Gregory, chief revenue officer for WhoSay, a social platform that caters to superstars, said that Snapchat is “aggressively courting celebrities with a big C and a small C. Everyone knows that’s where the millennials are and the celebrity audience is. The Snapchat audience is so enthusiastic and engaged with that content, this is a natural move for them.”
Although Snapchat didn’t confirm this business strategy, a number of observers, including Gregory, stated that with the app, it’d be easier to discover celebrities, alongside friends and other users.
This is the latest move by the popular disappearing-message app to entice users with content, including articles and videos from the likes of CNN and the Daily Mail, through its Discover page. In addition, it’s been looking for ways to bring live sports to the app, along with creators from YouTube and Vine to create an exclusive series for the app, although no results have been posted from that just yet.
Sites have become more and more involved with getting celebrities to use its social media pages. Twitter has a number of big name celebrities with a growing fanbase; Facebook has a Mentions app, where people can interact with some of their favorite celebs; and Reddit hosts plenty of Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q & A’s, where hundreds of questions pop up.
With celebrities on board, Snapchat could handily pick up a new audience to use its platform, thus boosting its userbase – and more possibilities for advertisers. Eric Dahan, CEO of Instabrand, said, “It gives them a backstory they can’t share with other mediums. If you think about Instagram, it’s usually images, and they tend to be more manicured. Snapchat really allows celebrities to give a backstory. It makes celebrities more attainable.”
However, that’s not to say the process would be smooth, as DigiDay believes some hindrances would get in the way when it comes to brands working alongside personalities. “It’s very, very manual and very high touch,” said Ted Murphy, CEO of influencer-brand connecting company Izea. “I think one of the biggest challenges is having the content disappear. Even with a Vine video, there’s something to send the client at the end of a campaign. With Snapchat, it’s ‘Trust us, it appeared, and it was great.'”
We’ll see just what kind of celebrities Snapchat is able to reach in the weeks ahead.
Earlier this year, Nintendo finally ended its stubborn holdout from the mobile gaming market and partnered with DeNA to bring a number of its popular franchises to iOS and Android devices. While we wait for the first title in the deal to drop later this year, DeNA West CEO Shintaro Asako recently spoke with Pocket Gamer about what players can expect – and why it could be such a big deal.
“I think this is potentially an opportunity for us to completely change the market,” he said regarding the “huge, huge deal”, during a visit to the Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco 2015 event. “Nintendo has by far the best gaming IP. DeNA’s expertise is definitely backend.”
This makes an interesting approach for both companies. Nintendo usually takes the product-based set-up with its titles, while DeNA prefers to introduce them as a service.
Still, it’s how these are presented that will make a difference, and the partnership could lead to big results. How big Kim Kardashian Hollywood big.
Asako brought up the Glu Games-produced mobile hit as an example of how a key partnership can work on the platform, considering Nintendo’s deal with DeNA to be “the most crucial partnership” that it’s ever done. “People are expecting a lot,” he said.
DeNA is no stranger to partnerships of this magnitude, as the company previously worked with Marvel, Star Wars and Disney for a number of titles over the years, most of which ended up being best-sellers. Obviously, Asako believes this will continue to be the case with Nintendo.
The deal covers five different games, with the first arriving later this year, and four more titles due between early 2016 and March 2017. Asako believes they will provide unique experiences for everyone.
“We want to make sure out of those five IP that we can end up attracting hundreds of millions of people,” he concluded.
With a company like Nintendo – and millions of fans old and young alike – that shouldn’t be a hard number to reach.
The European mobile games publication Pocket Gamer held their first U.S. event on Wednesday and Thursday this week in SF. The event brought together many European and Asian as well as U.S.-based mobile game developers and publishers to network, to do business and discuss hot topics in mobile gaming and beyond.
Here’s a recap of some of the highlights from yesterday’s “Superstar Sessions” that kicked off the event:
Samsungs’s VP of Emerging Platforms Mihai Pohontu Shows How Powerful Mobile Is
Pohontu has a very positive attitude towards the growth potential for wearables, Internet of Things and VR. For example, he showed research that predicted that connected mobile health apps and hardware that help you better control your own health have the potential to increase average life expectancy by 10 years.
DeNA Talks Nintendo Partnership
DeNA’s CEO Shintaro Asako spoke about the company’s partnership with Nintendo that had been long in the works and how the company is launching Nintendo IP’s on mobile that, according to him, has the potential to attract “100’s of millions of players.” He did not say more about which IP’s will be first out of the gate (Zelda, Mario Bros., etc.).
Disney Interactive’s Chris Heatherly talked about the company’s commitment to mobile and their slate of games based on Star Wars and Marvel IP’s. It seems as though Hollywood and the games industry have finally learned how to play well together and mobile games are now a big and important part of Disney’s future.
Finally, what is a games conference without buzzwords “Rewarded ads” are something that many startups have been talking about for a long time but hasn’t quite come to fruition yet. This fall, Google AdMob is finally launching it, making it a “mature” ad unit.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, it means mobile ads that pop-up in a game which reward you with, for example, virtual currency for watching a video ad or completing a survey. The currency can then immediately be used in the game to level up or otherwise make your gameplay better.
The live-streaming video app Meerkat has released what it’s calling its “biggest addition since launching.”
Dubbed Cameo, the app’s new feature lets viewers take over a broadcaster’s live-stream. But viewers can’t just take over any live-stream of their choosing— the broadcaster has to invite them by tapping on their profiles as they watch.
After the viewer accepts the invitation, the live-stream then switches over to focus on him or her. Both the viewer and the broadcaster have the ability to end the “cameo appearance” whenever they choose (within the span of a minute), at which point the stream goes back to the original broadcaster.
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.
As you can see from the chart above, Twitch’s audience has grown immensely since July 2012. Starting out at just under 100,000 or so, the audience has gradually grown during that time, and has now gotten to the point where its peak viewership has managed to rival that of average prime-time viewers of some cable networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and even MTV, a popular channel amongst teen viewers.
With thousands of broadcasters, millions of fans, and partnerships with companies like Coke and Old Spice, Twitch has had no trouble attracting audiences outside of hardcore gamers. That said, despite this popularity, The New York Times reports that the company is still “small,” as both Netflix and YouTube have larger numbers when it comes to video viewed per month — Netflix is eight times higher, while YouTube is 24 times higher. (To be fair, though, both of those services have more accumulated programming for viewers to sort through, while most Twitch broadcasts are only kept on the network for a limited time after live broadcasting.)
Twitch’s numbers are still too powerful to ignore, though. Below, you’ll see some of the more popular streamers’ numbers on the service, and just how long people tune in to watch a specific game, whether it’s Hearthstone or League of Legends.
It’s easy to see that numbers can differ depending on the streamer and title. While a game like ArmA III will only keep viewers for five hours, that’s still an incredible number. Meanwhile, Nightblue3 and trumpsc have no problem keeping viewers tuned in for nearly eight hours or more.
As a result, streamers have managed to make a living from the channel, through donations, ads and even subscriptions, should users be “hardcore” enough to follow them.
Game companies and sponsors also play a huge part in Twitch’s success, as indicated by the screen below.
Riot Games continues to rule the roost with consistent League of Legends viewership, while ESL TV and Red Bull Sports have steady audiences for hours at a time with a variety of game sessions, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.
The numbers are calculated from a six-day moving average of the daily maximum number of viewers, while prime-time cable ratings are measured from numbers provided between September 2013 and August 2014.
Regardless, it shows just how far Twitch has come in just a few years’ time, combined with what we previously reported. And with Amazon now backing Twitch, these numbers will continue to expand.
Dave Oshry
