App Use More Popular Than TV Viewing

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With so many services (mobile and otherwise) available to access them, applications have become quite popular with users. So much, in fact, that they’ve managed to overtake traditional television viewing, according to a story from TechCrunch.

Based on numbers provided by Flurry, the time spent with mobile applications by the average U.S. consumer has now managed to overtake TV. The average person now spends approximately 198 minutes per day using applications of some kind, compared to watching 168 minutes of television daily. Keep in mind, though, that this doesn’t include time spent with mobile web browsing, although that does count as an app.

With that included, the time spent on mobile devices would reach around 220 minutes — or nearly four hours — per day.

As you can see from the chart above, TV dominated back in the second quarter of 2013, with 168 minutes spent watching programs compared to 126 minutes using apps. This number continued into 2014 with similar stats, although apps caught up a bit by 139 minutes. This year, however, shows a stark difference, with TV holding its ground, while application time took over.

Flurry did note that it’s hard to really see just how much TV viewing is done these days. Dedicated viewing can be tough to gauge, since some consumers utilize it as “background noise” while playing with their phones.

It also noted the growing demand for content in app format for consumers, as well as their willingness to pay — for example, forking over a monthly fee on Hulu to get ad-free service. Other subscription programs like Netflix and HBO Now play a part in this as well, ranking in the top grossing charts on the Apple App Store.

That led into the second part of Flurry’s research, gauging paid content versus advertising. Global mobile revenues are posted in the chart below, with in-app purchases overtaking mobile ads, where last year mobile ads easily led. In-app purchases have $33 billion, whereas mobile ads generated $31 billion for this year. There’s still clearly money to be made in both categories.

Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed out the power of apps — and the money to be made from them — during the company’s presentation yesterday, stating that “over 60 percent of paid TV consuming is done through an Apple device. When you experience TV through an app, you realize how much better it can be.”

It’s not likely that the power of apps will slow down either, especially with a fleet of new Apple devices (like the new Apple TV) that shall use them to a greater extent.

New Exhibitors, Competitions For TwitchCon

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Earlier this year, we reported that Twitch was holding its first ever TwitchCon convention, which will take place later this month (September 25th and 26th) in San Francisco. Today, the popular streaming channel announced a number of new exhibitors and events for fans to enjoy over the two-day event.

First off, a number of new fighting tournaments were announced, titled Fight Night events. These include a Super Smash Bros. invitational featuring stars from both Twitch and Red Bull fighting it out for a potential $10,000 prize pool (along with bragging rights in terms of where the final tournament will be played out either northern or southern California). In addition, a Video Game Championship Wrestling tournament, which will feature a number of customized characters, will take place, along with a Founder Faceoff, in which Twitch CEO and founder Emmett Shear will take on Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, amongst other surprise competitors. These should really go a long way in engaging Twitch s avid fighting game community.

Other competitions will also be held, including an event sponsored by WorldGaming in tandem with the World Series of Video Games, as well as competitions with games like Rock Band 4, H1Z1 and others. Hi-Rez Studios, Cartoon Network games and other companies will also be in attendance with their latest products, such as Jetpack Fighter and Land of Ooo.

The biggest new attendees, however, are creators of virtual reality hardware. Oculus will be on hand with a variety of titles for players to check out, and HTC will bring its Vive headset, powered by SteamVR, with a number of games from WEVR, Radial Games and other companies.

Finally, a number of new panels were introduced, including a partner spotlight featuring streaming star LetsGetLexi and San Francisco Giants player Hunter Pence; a Twitch Tech Talk hosted by Amazon Game Studios (which makes sense considering Amazon s purchase of the company last year); and a special sponsored Intel panel that discusses getting maximum performance out of Intel equipment. Other media outlets will take the stage as well, including Geek and Sundry and Nerdist.

All of this content is making TwitchCon more of a must-attend event for fans of the streaming channel, as well as its various stars and sponsors. It should no doubt be a big hit when it takes place later this month.

Nintendo and Niantic Team Up For ‘Pokémon GO’ On Mobile

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The Pokémon series has been a huge phenomenon over the years, with game releases on Nintendo platforms, and a recent expansion into mobile with Pokémon Shuffle. Now, the series will be introducing a new social side with the debut of a forthcoming app for iOS and Android called Pokémon GO.

The app, a team-up between the Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Niantic, will enable fans to search for locations in the real world as they collect popular Pokémon characters. They will be able to catch, trade and battle unique characters with each new location they visit, creating a huge social aspect that literally introduces something around every corner.

Junichi Masuda, game director of the Pokémon series, is on board the project, which will utilize camera technology so that players can certainly “catch ‘em all,” as the series consistently promotes. With Niantic, creators of the location-based game Ingress at the helm, it’s likely to be a big hit when it debuts in early 2016.

“Our challenge was to develop a great game for smart phone devices that expressed the core values of Pokémon,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “Pokémon GO is the answer to that challenge.”

“Pokémon GO is a wonderful combination of Niantic’s real world gaming platform and one of the most beloved franchises in popular culture,” said John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc. “Our partnership with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo is an exciting step forward in real-world gaming and using technology to help players discover the world and people around them.”

Polygon has more details about the game: “Pokémon Go will work with a Bluetooth-powered device called Pokémon Go Plus, which players can wear on their wrist or pinned to their clothing. The device, which looks like a Pokémon combined with a Google Maps marker pin, has a built-in LED light and a vibration function that will notify players that something important is happening in the game, such as a Pokémon  appearing nearby. Ishihara said that Pokémon Go players won’t be required to use the device to play the game, but that it will reduce the amount of time players spend staring at their smart devices in order to play the game.”

This shows some initiative on Nintendo’s part as its push into mobile continues, although it doesn’t count as one of its projects through its partnership with DeNA. Those games are still coming, although they’re shrouded in secrecy.

The full press announcement can be found below.

Internet of Things Usage Grows

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While the items that utilize IoT (Internet of Things) based technology are just picking up steam, chances are that they’re going to be popular in the long run, especially when it comes to usage in certain fields.

eMarketer reports that, according to numbers provided by Tata Consultancy Services, 71.9 percent of travel, transportation and hospitality executives have indicate that their companies will utilize iOT-based technology in their mobile applications. That’s a much larger number compared to the 46.5 percent of business executives who stated they were interested in the Internet of Things.

Companies in other areas show interest as well, including banking and financial services, insurance, media and entertainment, telecom and retail industries, indicating they were using IoT to some extent with their mobile apps, although specific percentages weren’t given.

So what’s the appeal of IoT-based technology with these companies The report shows that production and distribution operations are common, mainly to track product flow for consumers.

50 percent of respondents in the media field indicated that they used IoT with their mobile apps, although more (around 56 percent) stated they would do so in terms of supporting operations.

Other industries show great interest as well, as automotive, production and distribution usage was more than twice as common as mobile apps when it came to the Internet of Things.

As you can see from the chart above, there are a number of ways Internet of Things is being used, whether it’s through mobile applications for consumers, or digital sensors and other devices in locations where business is conducted. Only 7.8 percent indicated they have no current plans for use with digital technologies to monitor products, but didn’t rule it out, saying it would become relevant by 2020.

This additional chart shows that leading operational challenges can be solved using Internet of Things, mainly with inventory accuracy and visibility into customer’s physical shopping behaviors (tied at 48 percent apiece), followed by speed of fulfillment to meet customer demand (44 percent) and connecting customer’s digital and offline activities (41 percent).

Does this mean Internet of Things will be a driving factor with companies Indeed, although more than one factor is considered when it comes to how effective it will be.

SuperData August 2015 US Digital Game Sales

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Analysis from SuperData CEO, Joost van Dreunen, follows:

 

  1. PC gamers carry digital games market through summer period.
  2. Apple TV limited as a gaming platform despite content exclusives.
  3. Growing pains pester $3.8 billion market for game streaming.
  4. Guild Wars 2 embraces free-to-play to boost additional content sales.
  5. Get a job! SuperData is looking to fill two positions.

PC gamers carry digital games market through summer period. Consistent with a historical dip in sales during the month of August, this year, too, sales proved to be more sluggish than usual. Monthly earnings total in the US digital games market totaled $979 million, an 11 percent increase compared to the same month last year. Especially the PC gamer segment proved resilient, as the combined sales of downloadable content (PC + console) reached $250 million last month. With many of the major title releases only a few weeks out, we anticipate a strong resurgence in the coming months, as consumers ready themselves. Early estimates indicate that the upcoming holiday season may prove to be the industry’s biggest yet, due to the momentum from mainstream consumers adoption interactive entertainment in combination with the console cycle reaching its zenith.

Renewed Apple TV limited as a gaming platform despite content exclusives. Following the usual fanfare from its major press conferences, Apple’s announcement of a more game-focused Apple TV sent a surge of optimism through the games industry. Critical to the success of the renewed Apple TV is the availability of new, innovative content. With both industry-heavyweights Harmonix and Disney preparing titles for the device, Apple is, at least initially, banking on a more mainstream gamer audience. This is not surprising, given its massive success with mobile games on the iPhone. But mobile gamers are just that: they prefer to play on their smartphone or tablet and are ultimately much less likely to switch to a large screen in their livingroom.

Similarly, the notion that the Apple TV poses a threat to the console market is poorly informed, as the market for dedicated gaming devices is currently at its peak. With an action-packed holiday season ahead, newly minted owners of the PS4 and Xbox One will be keen on building out their library rather than playing mobile games on their television sets. Meanwhile, its startup darling from yesteryear, Angry Birds, which at the time showcased the unique features of the iPhone has since fallen from grace. With its long-awaited sequel underperforming, publisher Rovio recently announced its plans to lay off another 260 people, less than a year after it had already let go of another 130 people last October. Despite another slick delivery, the current potential of the Apple TV as a gaming platform remains limited.

Growing pains pester digital channels as $3.8 billion market for gaming video content matures. With the gloves officially off, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) recently took aim at Amazon-subsidiary Twitch (NASDAQ: AMZN) with the launch of YouTube Gaming. The company is seeking to claim king of the hill in the $3.8 billion market for gaming video content. The importance of interactive entertainment for Google can not be overstated as YouTube celebrity PewDiePie announced the threshold of 10 billion views earlier this week. Despite its higher volume, however, it lags behind Twitch when it comes to revenue, earning 36 percent of global gaming video content revenue compared to 43 percent for Twitch. Despite YouTube Gaming’s sleek UI and higher video quality, Twitch’s focus has been on cultivating a strong community. Later this month, the company is scheduled to host its first annual TwitchCon in San Francisco. Overall, gaming video content has become an important market in the games industry. Consumers use digital channels to find out more about new and upcoming titles, look for advice on what to buy and find tips on how to beat difficult levels. Different from news publications, however, is the absence of a clear ethical code of conduct, and the industry is currently going through a series of growing pains with regards to copyright infringements and paid product endorsements. Multi-channel network Machinima recently settled with the Federal Trade Commission after several of its members posted positive videos about the Xbox One without disclosing that they were being paid to do so.

Guild Wars 2 embraces free-to-play to boost additional content sales. Another major title just went free-to-play. ArenaNet’s (KRX: 036570) MMO has never required a subscription fee since its launch in 2012, and now players will no longer need to buy the game upfront either. Currently, 14 percent of monthly earnings come from the sale of new copies of Guild Wars 2 and the rest from in-game content. With the game’s first paid expansion, Heart of Thorns, launching next month, ArenaNet stands to benefit greatly from an influx of new potential customers. So far, 2015 has seen two other major MMOs (The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar) change their revenue model, dropping mandatory subscription fees to focus on selling in-game items. Category-leader Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) is taking a different path with World of Warcraft as the game’s subscriber numbers slide to 5.6 million, the lowest subscriber count since 2005. It is one one of the only publishers to stick to a subscription model as players increasingly opt for free-to-play equivalents and MOBAs. To combat its falling user base, Blizzard is upping the frequency of expansions, like the recently-announced World of WarCraft: Legion, to entice lapsed players to re-subscribe.

Get a job. SuperData is hiring! We’re currently looking to fill two positions: Junior Market Research Analyst and Data Analyst. It’s been a super-busy year for us and we’d love to add a few more rockstars to the team to help us round out the year. More information available here on the SuperData site.

www.superdataresearch.com

Apple Reveals ‘The Future of TV’

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Apple delivered an impressive array of new products today, and even a couple of surprises that had avoided the leaks that presaged much of the announcement. The company also put everything into one events, with news about the Apple Watch, the iPad line, the Apple TV, and new iPhones. Importantly, the main categories of apps that were displayed were games and entertainment, showing Apple recognizes the importance of these categories to the company.

Apple led off with the news of WatchOS 2.0, allowing developers access to the Watch to create native apps, some new bands (including an Hermès collection) and new case colors for the Sport Edition. There are now over 10,000 Watch apps in the App Store, and no doubt games are a considerable percentage of them. Apple was careful to note how the Apple Watch makes a fine gift, and we can expect to see substantial growth in sales for this device.

Next, Apple worked on revitalizing the iPad line with the larger-scale iPad Pro, a 12.9″ tablet that’s barely thicker than the iPad Air (6.9 mm to 6.1 mm) while weighing slightly more than a pound and a half, about the same as the original iPad. It’s driven by a new Apple A9X chips that promises 70 percent better CPU power and 90 percent better GPU performance compared to the A8X chip, with “desktop-class performance.”

The iPad Pro runs $799 for 32GB up to $1079 for 128GB (the high end includes LTE communication), and a cover/keyboard for $169 and the new Apple Pencil high-resolution stylus for $99. It’s clearly aimed at professionals (with demos of Microsoft Office — Microsoft on stage at an Apple event! — and Adobe). Of course, it would play games like Vainglory amazingly well, though. . . this will be the device of choice for hardcore tablet gamers, if such a creature exists. Oh, and the iPad Mini has been refreshed with the iPad Mini 4, at $399 with “the power of an iPad Air 2” and the iPad Mini 2 drops to $269.

Apple then segued into the new Apple TV, which took up a huge chunk of the overall event. It’s clear Apple no longer considers this device a “hobby” as it once styled it — the Apple TV is now the foundation of a business that Apple clearly looks to be very serious indeed. The new Apple TV contains an A8 chip as rumored for solid performance, and the price was (as rumored) $149 — but that gets you a surprising 32 GB of storage, while 64GB will run you $199.

The Apple TV remote, as expected, enables so solid gameplay and a smooth interface. The remote has a glass-covered touchpad at the top, and a Siri button which gets you some sophisticated voice control. Apple demonstrated easy selection of movies and TV and (of course) Apple Music, even searching across apps. Oh, yes, the Apple TV now has its own version of iOS (called tvOS) and a full App Store, and Apple showed a variety of apps headed to the device, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, a Gilt shopping app, and more.

Games took center stage with the Apple TV, as developers Hipster Whale showed off a special version of Crossy Road for the Apple TV, complete with an exclusive multiplayer mode. Harmonix showed off Beat Sports, a motion-controlled sports game very much in the genre of Wii Sports, using the motion sensors in the new remote — and featuring multiplayer support for other players with iPhones. Also namechecked were Galaxy on Fire, Rayman Adventures, and Disney Infinity 3.0.

Strong support was evident from Activision. Jamie Jackson, co-studio head and creative director at FreeStyleGames, is pretty stoked: “We jumped at the opportunity to bring back Guitar Hero in a cool new way with Guitar Hero Live and have been energized by the response from fans who have had a chance to play it so far. We can’t wait for the game to launch next month and think people are going to get a kick out of living their rock star fantasy on consoles, mobile devices and Apple TV this fall. It’s going to be rad!”

Activision also confirmed that two other Activision games — Skylanders SuperChargers and Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved are coming to Apple TV and other Apple devices this fall. “Last year fans rallied to play Skylanders on tablet and loved how they could play the same incredible game on iPad as on other platforms; this year we are giving them even more options to play their favorite game as we expand Skylanders to Apple TV, iPhone and iPod touch,” said Josh Taub, senior vice president of product management for Skylanders at Activision. “Fans will be able to play Skylanders SuperChargers on Apple TV, then pick up their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and continue to play from there. It’s the kind of magic that our fans have wanted since we first brought their toys to life.”

The games focus continued as Apple revealed the ultimate stars of the show, the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Outwardly similar to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (though slightly thicker, with a new rose gold case color added), the devices have huge differences internally from last year’s models. The phones have “3D Touch” on the screens, enabling a new level of easy interaction, 12 MP cameras that can record 4K video, and faster LTE (up to 300 Mbps). They are driven by the new A9 processor, which is 70% faster at CPU tasks, and 90 percent faster at graphics — a “console-class GPU” in Apple’s phrase. Just to underscore that, Apple put Pixeltoys’ Andy Wafer on stage to show off Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade on the new phones, showing what looked easily like console-class gameplay. The new phones are priced at the same level as last year’s iPhone 6 line, with those older phones dropping $100 in price.

Reaction from some developers was swift. Dr. Jeffrey Smith, co-founder and CEO of musical app developer Smule, was very impressed by the new iPhones and the Apple TV. “Amazing. I can’t believe this company can continue to innovate at this scale. It is mind boggling,” said Smith. What does this mean for games and apps, particularly in the home environment “It’s bad news for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. It’s game over. Honest,” Smith said. “It’s good news for developers. There’s a much lower barrier of entry. But most of all, it’s great news for consumers. Anytime you can go from two boxes (console + TV) to one (Apple TV) and have a better user experience, it’s a big win. The market opportunity for entertainment companies such as Smule is staggering.”

The new phones will be available on September 25th, with preorders beginning September 12. The new Apple TV will be out in October, and the iPad Pro will launch in November. Meanwhile, iOS 9 will be out later this month with many new features to support these devices. Apple appears to be gearing up to release these devices in dozens of countries this year, so it looks like there’s going to be plenty of new Apple units for developers to sell into this holiday season.

Instagram Video Ads Get Longer Option

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For the past few months, Instagram has seen big success with its ad program, although there have been questions in regards to whether the company will stay true to a certain format. However, it seems to be experimenting with new things, as a report from AdWeek suggests that it’s hard at work on a prolonged video advertising, in the hopes of attracting a few new brands.

The company made the announcement earlier today, indicating that marketers would be able to take advantage of the 30-second format through campaigns. This doubles the time that previous ads were limited to, coming in at just 15 seconds (the same length of videos that users can post).

This new ad format supports landscape mode, as part of the site’s formatting update that was recently applied, and will “give ads a more cinematic feel,” according to the company.

Brand marketers have been used to a 30-second format for the longest time, between traditional television commercials and ads that appear regularly on the likes of YouTube and, in some cases, Facebook. This way, they don’t have to compromise with a smaller format, in which its message could easily be hurried, missing some of its potential. In addition, brands will also be able to target specific promotions towards specific groups on the site, similar to how they can cater to users on Facebook.

As far as how well the ads will fare on the service, time will tell, but Sean O’Neal, president of Adaptly, is confident. “We are seeing impressive results from the 15-second ads, with overall costs and performance metric being competitive with the larger, more established video platforms,” he said. “We fully expect the 30-second format will deliver similar, industry-leading results.”

So far, Instagram states that it’s a success, pointing out a couple of case studies in the process.

Gilt Groupe reported an 85 percent increase in shopping app installs following a campaign that involved downloading. In addition, Kabam, creators of Star Wars: Uprising, has attracted users with its campaign for another popular app, Marvel: Contest of Champions.

“People come to Instagram for visual inspiration, and advertising on Instagram has the power to touch, inspire and move people,” Instagram said in a blog post. “Instagram ads have proven to drive strong branding results 97 percent of measured campaigns on Instagram have generated significant lifts in ad recall.”

On top of that, the company also introduced a new premium-priced ad format called Marquee, enabling certain companies to run certain campaigns for a small amount of time. The Fox network has already jumped on board with this campaign, advertising three shows set to make their debut later this month The Grinder, Scream Queens and Grandfathered. An example of this campaign can be seen below.

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Now it’s just a matter of seeing how well the longer ad format fares with consumers, especially to those who are used to the traditional 15-second format.

Snapchat Flourishes With 4 Billion Daily Views

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At first, brands were hesitant to invest in Snapchat’s elaborate advertising plan, citing its high fees and worries over the lack of permanent placement. But it’s become something of a hit, with many reasons to invest in the popular app mainly its growing audience.

However, those brands probably don’t realize just how popular Snapchat’s service is, but Variety has a good idea. The site reports that, via numbers provided by IBTimes, the app now sees an average of four billion daily views putting it right alongside the social media site Facebook.

The number, which was confirmed by Snapchat, is compiled from both Live Stories shared through the various users of the app, including media companies, but without counting either private messages or Snapchat Discover, even with its 15 content partners. This shows that the company’s interstitial ad set-up through Live Stories is quite successful.

Considering that Snapchat’s video format is brief and temporary, since they only stay on the app for a limited amount of time the four billion daily views is an impressive number, especially for its ephemeral format, which is far different from what YouTube and Facebook have to offer.

These numbers add up to big business, too. The company has asked for two cents per view on a 10-second ad, and sometimes even higher, going up to ten cents a view, depending on the ad. As a result, this can easily translate into a high number of CPM’s (or cost per thousand views) of $20-$100, creating a huge cash flow as a result.

It’s drawn in a number of high-profile partners as well, including Stephen Colbert, who debuted his new Late Show on CBS this week, along with Major League Baseball, Fusion and other Discover partners like ESPN, CNN, and Comedy Central.

More information on Snapchat’s successful business model can be found here.

Marriott Brings Virtual Reality To Guest Rooms

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Marriott is no stranger to the world of virtual reality. Last year, the company introduced an immersive 4D travel experience, where consumers could be transported to various locations using Oculus Rift headsets. But now Marriott wants to bring this experience even closer to consumers, by offering headsets that can be used from the comfort of their room.

Variety reports that the hotel chain has begun testing out a program in both New York and London that allows customers the opportunity to try out virtual reality from the comfort of their suites, with a new “Vroom Service” program. Except, this time, instead of Oculus, the test is taking place using Samsung Gear VR equipment, supplied by Samsung Electronics.

When ordered, customers can use the headset for a period of 24 hours, using it to roam through three “VR Postcards” set up by Marriott, each providing an immersive 360-degree, 3D view of each location. These include paying a visit to Chile’s Andes mountains, as well as stopping by an ice cream shop in Rwanda and checking out the busy streets of Beijing.

The service “combines storytelling with technology, two things that are important to next-generation travelers,” said Matthew Carroll, vice president of global brand management for Marriott.

Marriott also confirmed that VR Postcards will also be available through the Samsung Milk VR video service, accessible through any given Samsung Gear VR headset, developed in conjunction with Facebook’s Oculus VR division. Using tech put together by Framestore’s Virtual Reality Studio, it really provides a “you are there” approach to customers who want to step into a new world but without paying hundreds of dollars in travel.

The “Vroom Service” provides a new level of hospitality to consumers, one in which presents a new side of media that can be easily adopted. And it’s the latest move by Marriott to make its consumers feel right at home, following an announcement earlier this year that enables Netflix subscribers to log in to their service through the comfort of their room, so they can binge watch their favorite programs, even while on the go.

Vizio Exec Discusses Impact Of Gaming On 4K TV Market

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The launches of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 helped the consumer electronics companies sell millions of high definition (HD) TVs first to early adopters and eventually to mainstream consumers. Having all of that gaming content in HD helped offset the limited HD broadcast content that was available to consumers.

Now the consumer electronics industry has moved on to 4K TV, or Ultra HD, but none of the current video game consoles support that resolution yet. In fact, the only device that s plug and play for 4K is the Nvidia Shield Android TV device.

But even without 4K support, 4K TVs automatically make any game, movie, or television show look much better. And there are a growing number of PC titles, including Treyarch s upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, that support 4K displays, so gamers still get the best picture quality if they connect to a 4K display or TV.

4K TV prices are dropping steadily, and this holiday season should see an uptick in sales of UHDs across the board. Strategy Analytics forecasts sales of 5-6 million UHDs this year in the U.S. and expects half of all American homes to have a 4K TV by 2020.

Vizio is currently a leader in the HD and 4K TV markets. Carlos Angulo, senior manager of TV product marketing at Vizio, explains what role video games will play in the burgeoning 4K TV market in this exclusive interview.

What role have gamers played in the success Vizio has had over the years?

Gamers are often at the front edge of video technology. They want large, high-resolution, high-quality displays to get the best results from the latest, greatest games. This has made them a part of the Vizio fan base and success, as we have provided the latest and some of the best picture quality attributes without all the gimmicky features that increase the price but that gamers often aren t interested in.

What did you learn from the launch of the first HD video game consoles and the adoption of HD TVs by gamers?

We learned that features like resolution were important, but other features like low latency and faster motion resolution also mattered. These traits were inherent characteristics of CRT displays, but not of LED/LCD-based HDTVs, and they were not always top-priority characteristics for videophiles compared to progressive-scan, high-resolution, contrast or color accuracy. With LED, for example, videophiles could adapt by way of an audio delay that could easily compensate for video latency. But latency and low frame rates in a video game can be the difference between life and death (in the game). Vizio knows that having the lowest lag time between input and output, and even having a Game Mode to decrease that delay even further by bypassing the internal processing for video game signals made our products more interesting to high-end gamers. The addition of fast motion resolution, along with VIZIO s High Velocity Mode, a technology that enables select Vizio UHD displays to accept 1080p signals at 120Hz frames per second gives Vizio an advantage.

How do you see gamers adopting 4K TVs?

We certainly think gamers should be interested in large-sized 4K/UHD displays. To appreciate the UHD resolution best, you want it to fill a large portion of your field of view. Gamers are more likely to be in this position than anyone. They want to be up close and immersed in the action.

How important will it be for the Xbox One and PS4 to support 4K TVs for your 4K TVs to really take off?

Modern consumers are using numerous devices to find content, and both Xbox One and PS4 could be big players in that world. But Vizio s UHD displays are already in demand thanks to a growing list of streaming sources, including Vizio s own Internet Apps Plus smart TV platform, external streaming devices, and the upcoming UHD Blu-ray format.

Currently, mobile and PC games support 4K gaming, what opportunities do you see in those categories?

We wouldn t be able to speak to those categories at this time. We would note that Vizio TVs, with their high resolution and excellent picture quality also make great computer monitors. Our 43-inch M-Series Smart UHD Full Array LED TV is only $599, which we believe will be an attractive size and price point for the next gen PC gamer.

What does 4K open up for gamers even if they’re playing games in 720p or 1080p?

If you just look at resolution, you will see much greater detail and realism in games. Depending on the viewers position with the TV, it will either eliminate a potential “screen door effect where the visibility of pixels detracts slightly from the overall picture or will improve overall resolution and clarity. Distant features would be more easily viewable. Angles and curves will have fewer distracting artifacts. Overall, the image will seem smoother and clearer. When Reference Series with HDR and WCG become available, the image advantages will be even more compelling.

How have you seen the prices drop with 4K since Vizio first entered this space?

We would not be able to talk about pricing, other than to say that last year when Vizio first introduced its Ultra HD collection, we offered a 50-inch class UHD display for under $1000, and this year we have seen that price drop to under $700 with our 50 inch class M-Series 4K TV. Both models include high-quality features like a full-array LED backlight and local dimming for improved contrast.

Can you talk about some of the newest features of your new lineup of 4K TVs?

Our Vizio Reference Series will offer High Dynamic Range and Ultra Color Spectrum as a result of its compatibility with Dolby Vision. This provides a significantly brighter image with more lifelike contrast between peak highlights and deeper, darker blacks. These displays will also offer an Ultra-wide Color Gamut that provides richer and more saturated colors and hues at every brightness level. When used with Dolby Vision content, the result will be a stunning, near lifelike image that will blow viewers away!

The existing M and P series displays offer some of the best picture quality elements as well. The full-array LED backlight (also available on the Reference series) means greater uniformity from one edge of the screen to the other. The Local Dimming function enables deeper black levels in dark parts of the picture, while maintaining peak white levels in brighter portions of the image, for superior contrast.

Outside of gaming, what type of 4K entertainment content is there for people who do upgrade to 4K TVs today?

There is a growing list of UHD content. Netflix and Amazon have original series, like House of Cards and Transparent that are recorded and made available in 4k. Vizio UHD displays also have access to streaming content from UltraFlix and Toon Goggles. And soon, VIZIO will be able to provide HDR content with Dolby Vision through VUDU s streaming service.

How big do you see this holiday for more mainstream adoption of 4K TVs?

We believe that the technology advancements in our 4K TVs, coupled with increases in availability of 4K entertainment content, should drive demand for our 4K TVs this holiday season.

What do you feel separates Vizio from the crowded 4K TV market?

Picture quality, fast response rates, smart Internet features and value are what separate Vizio from our competitors. Vizio has spent significant resources to determine what is important to consumers, and picture quality ranks higher than gimmicky features like curved screens, voice recognition or gesture control. Vizio is able to offer consumers smart value by building a streamlined product that includes the quality components and features that most consumers are interested in without unnecessary gimmicky features that can drive up costs for consumers.