Digital video has come a long way, particularly with original content, and its popularity is growing to overtake broadcast television this year. The IAB has published a new report that compares digital video with broadcast television, and details how consumers feel about them.
The main objective of the report, titled IAB Original Digital Video Consumer Study, is to take a better look at the market for online video content, what the audience gets from it, and how it differs from the general television viewing experience.
The report is quite lengthy, but here are a few general takeaways from it:
Monthly ODV (Original Digital Video) viewership has been increasing, with approximately 66 percent of viewers saying that, by watching ODV programming on a connected TV, regular TV viewing has been reduced.
26 million viewers are watching ODV on a monthly basis, compared to 19 million back in 2013.
62 percent of viewers prefer ODV over general television programming because of the ability to watch it at their own leisure, or engage in “binge” watching, if they prefer.
The largest audience group that prefers to watch ODV is made up of 18- 34-year-olds that are in the “cord cutters” group, at 55 percent. Following close behind are 18+ cord cutters/nevers, and 26 percent are general population folks aged 18 and up.
Ads that appear through ODV are most memorable with those in the 18-34 cord cutters/nevers group, by 48 percent, followed by 18+ cord cutters (45 percent) and general population over 18 (38 percent).
This chart shows the video format that’s most likely to be watched, as well as standings between ODV and regular television. ODV continues to be the popular choice, even eclipsing broadcast or prime time TV by a small margin.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War has already kickstarted the summer movie season in a big way, clearing nearly $180 million domestically in its opening weekend. Coca-Cola decided to take part in the superhero action, using Snapchat and calling upon a few social influencers to spread the word about the film.
The soft drink company hosted fan screenings across the United States this week, while utilizing a few social influencers to host live reports from the screening through Snapchat. Tristan Yates and CJ OperAmericano took part in the event, where they asked moviegoers which side they were on–Team Cap or Team Iron Man. If this promotion sounds familiar, it’s because choosing a side has been the theme for most Civil War promotional campaigns.
The two sides were introduced before the Snapchat campaign kicked off, and then hosts proceeded to talk to moviegoers about their choices. Coca-Cola played a part by having specially made cans inspired by Captain America and Iron Mean featured in the presentation. The campaign turned out to be a huge success, reaching out to both millennials and younger viewers, and providing healthy promotion for both Coca-Cola products and Civil War, which was a hit with fans of all ages.
“Coca-Cola choosing to raise brand awareness of its products by using influencers reporting live before the blockbuster movie premiere of Captain America: Civil War and asking fans which team they are on (Iron Man or Captain America) is such an impactful way to promote the brand to the millennials and younger generations and to the 100+ million Snapchat users,” said Marci Troutman, CEO for mobile web company Siteminis. “Who doesn’t love a Coke mixed with Marvel? This is just another way Coca-Cola shows off its commitment to digital.”
Movie studios are utilizing Snapchat to promote films as well. Last year, Sony Pictures teamed with the social app to provide a devoted channel to the James Bond film Spectre; and this past March, Warner Bros. showcased a teaser trailer for the buddy comedy Central Intelligence on the app, featuring stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“Other food and beverage brands should pay attention to the strategy Coca-Cola uses to engage millennials and the younger generations, who are and will become their up-and-coming consumers,” said Troutman.
Civil War is in theaters now, and is already a huge success for Marvel’s movie studio.
The Bunker, which comes out this year for PC, console and mobile devices, blends filmmaking with interactive gaming for a completely unique experience. Filmed entirely inside a real-life decommissioned nuclear bunker, and starring Adam Brown (The Hobbit trilogy) and Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful; Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag), the horror-suspense game features all live-action footage with no CGI. It’s something that blurs the line between watching a movie and playing a game, which makes it quite the project for developer Splendy Interactive to take on.
Simon Sparks, co-founder of Splendy and producer on The Bunker, sits down with [a]listdaily to talk about the challenges in making and promoting an interactive movie that takes you to the depths of the unknown.
Simon Sparks
What is The Bunker about?
The story is about a boy named John, who was born in the bunker on the day England was wiped out through nuclear war. It’s 1986, and nuclear war has happened, and the day that the bombs hit, his mother, who worked for the government, was rushed down into the bunker and the trauma kickstarted the childbirth. So, as the world ends, he is born.
He lives his whole life in the bunker and we join him 30 years later, and he’s alone. All he knows is his routine (checking radiation levels, inventory stocks, etc.) which is keeping him alive, and he’s very stringent about it. But when something goes wrong, he’s forced to venture deeper into the bowels of the bunker, which his mother told him not to go into. Before her death, she warned him to stay on the level of the bunker, and to never leave. As John goes into the bowels, it awakens suppressed memories and uncovers the dark and hidden past of the bunker.
Through these repressed memories, he is faced with the true reason he is down in the bunker.
Why was The Bunker developed using only live-action footage instead of computer graphics?
Our first game was a live-action survival horror called The Hunting, which is only available on iOS. We filmed the whole thing using an iPhone 4s, which my business partner Allan still has. We basically did a vigilante film with no budget. We had enthusiasm and duct tape, and Allan wanted to explore whether we could make a movie that you could play as an app.
After we released it, we found out that there was a real appetite for something different, and we wanted to do something different as well—bigger and more ambitious. With live-action, you can really capture genuine performances from actors, which will move you in a way that even the best mocap and CG rendering can’t quite capture—the performance of an actor on film. It’s that kind of connection with the characters that we really wanted to explore. The reason we use live-action is for the emotional connection, rather than a kind of gimmick.
We wanted to explore how to connect with players on a different level while using the storytelling and immersiveness that comes with that.
Is The Bunker inspired by FMV games from the ’90s?
It wasn’t intentional. It’s not like we woke up one morning and said, “we’re going to reinvent FMV.” We started off making apps, and for us, it was more that it was more entertainment than a game. But we quickly started to make a kind of noise in the games industry, and it was just through contacting publishers and by sheer chance that we learned whether this kind of thing existed and whether people would buy it. It was from that that we decided to bring the game to PC and consoles, rather than just sticking with apps. That is where more of our real market is.
So, making a sort of homage to FMV was never a consideration, but it just happens that articles are throwing that acronym around. But look at games like Quantum Break replicating their actors as best as possible, while saying, “hey look, we have a Hollywood actor in here.” That’s the CGI version of him, and here he is in the live-action episodes. Then there’s Her Story, which featured Viva Seifert. For me, it’s hard to say that this is FMV. It’s its own sub-genre that’s hard to place.
How did Adam Brown and Sarah Greene become involved with The Bunker?
Allan, the director and writer, is a big fan of fantasy and games. He’s the guy who watches the director’s commentary and behind-the-scenes stuff, because he’s fascinated by the whole process. He became aware of Adam through watching a behind-the-scenes bit for The Hobbit. He came across as a really smart guy who was passionate about what he did. Then you start to pay more attention to him in the films, and he’s got a lot of screen time in The Hobbit—way more than we thought he did, and he is a great actor.
We spoke to his agent and did all the normal stuff. When we finally met him, he had this kind of vulnerability that lent itself to the role. We wanted the player to feel protective of the character, John, and he brought it. He was excited about the project and was open to something new.
As for Sarah, she’s just one of those up-and-coming, great new actresses. If you see any of her stuff, she’s just fantastic. It was one of those things where we knew what we wanted, but didn’t know what it was, and it wasn’t until we saw her and look at her varied performances that we realized it. She was also the voice of Anne Bonny in Assassin’s Creed, so she was open to all sorts of different roles.
It also turned out that Adam and Sarah are great friends. They’ve known each other for years, and it was very exciting, because it added to this great atmosphere on set.
All the filming was done in a decommissioned nuclear bunker. What’s the story behind that?
The UK has a number of secret nuclear bunkers, and in 1992, it was deemed that there was no longer a nuclear threat. So, they kind of just left them. Everything that was in The Bunker was left by the UK government in 1992, and it’s a real mixture of the kind of fear during that time.
It took them several months to dig out the side of this hill in the 1950s. They [the government] just turned up at this farm and told them, “We’re having this farm. And if you tell anyone, you’ll be done for treason and go to prison.” So, they took the farm off them and pretended to have a farm while they dug out a bunker that could house 600 people.
Through the ages, it was upgraded with new technologies, like Teletext. There are all sorts of analog stuff there, along with some digital stuff up to the Commodores. It’s amazing, and then you find things like toe-tags. Someone actually had to sit down and think about the stationary needed in the apocalypse.
It’s currently a privately run museum. We were looking for a location to shoot a demo, and didn’t have a story in mind until we found this bunker in Essex. The guy who owned it took us on a tour off the beaten track, so we got to see behind locked doors. Then we just started writing and coming up with stories after we left. That’s when we started talking to publishers, like our friends at Green Man Gaming. We wanted to do a TellTale game, but with movie footage.
The story began to evolve and change as we got writers on board who had worked on Soma, Broken Sword, and The Witcher. They added a different level to it and looked at it from a game point of view. The story became way more grown-up, and we really rammed home the emotional connection. We would not have made this game if we hadn’t found that nuclear bunker. The bunker is very much a character in it.
How will you be getting the word out about The Bunker when it releases?
We’re in an interesting position because this hasn’t been done before. It should be relatively easy to get some attention. When we released the trailer on April 4, it was the number-one marketing asset in the whole of the games industry for that week, above Doom. That’s just awesome.
But we’re now in a position where one would traditionally give people a demo and give streamers half or the entire game so that they can tell everyone about it. However, if you’re watching someone watching a movie, you can’t do that ten minutes into it. You have to be very careful and considered about how you do it. Green Man has a strong streaming community, and it looks like we’re going to give them a demo that’s about 30 to 45 minutes long. We’re trying to make it more of an event so that people will join in from the start.
We’re getting the word out about The Bunker by removing all the “gimmicks,” like how it’s live-action, and getting to the core of what it is. It’s getting people to understand what the game is in one sentence. As long as we can translate that, then I think the guys will have done a really good job. We don’t want to be the game that’s live-action. We want to be the game with a really good story that makes people think. We’re relying closely on Green Man on the initial launch.
What are the challenges in promoting a game across PC, console and mobile platforms?
They all have their nuances, and it’s making sure that they don’t conflict that counts more than anything. It goes back to getting to the core message of what the game is. After we get our message across, then it will be up to the consumer to decide where they want it. We don’t want the messages to conflict, so that everybody feels like they’re getting a fair deal, and no platform is particularly better.
The challenges come down to when we release them over the next year. We’re only a small team of people, and there’s only so much we can do at once. So, we’re focusing on PC first, then console, and mobile afterward. We’re hoping to get the mobile version out before Thanksgiving. We’ve got three publishers as well, one for each platform, and so far they’ve all been great and respect one another.
Have you given any thoughts to using VR technology with games like The Bunker?
Yes, we have. It’s very hard to be in the games industry and not have this crop up. It’s so hot right now. Everybody is asking, and everybody wants VR, and it’s great… but really expensive.
VR has its own set of challenges. I’m confident that VR will one day be awesome, but you’ve got to be realistic. The games industry has taken a lot of time and talented people to get it where it is, and I think the same will be true for VR. It’s very delicate at the moment, and I’m worried for it because there’s a lot of hype and expectations are high. Luckily, there’s some really good content and a number of different platforms available. But we need to give it time to find its own way and not judge it too much. There is the worry that VR might go the way of 3D TV.
If VR were a friend, I’d be taking it down to the pub right now and saying, “You’ve got to be really careful. There are a lot of people out there expecting big things of you.”
As for doing what we do, there are so many challenges. How do you direct a story in 360? How do you get across an emotional connection, and how do you know if they’re watching a bit of dialogue? Where does the crew go when filming in 360? You basically have to hide in another room, and hide all the cables everywhere.
VR is on our radar, but it requires patience, time and more people. It can’t be a gimmick. It has to be a driving force in the story.
Serial entrepreneur Justin Kan has launched and sold several companies over the years, including Twitch, which Amazon purchased for $970 million in 2014. Although he’s only 33 years old, the partner at venture capital firm Y Combinator is seeking “young” entrepreneurs by connecting with them directly through their app of choice: Snapchat.
According to digital intelligence firm SimilarWeb, Snapchat Android installs (22.7 percent) have overtaken Twitter (21.8 percent) for the first time in the U.S.
Kan is launching the first ever Snapchat Pitch Competition on May 10. Startup founders will log in and pitch Kan and the audience on his Snapchat Story. The winner will get an interview to be funded by the YC Fellowship program this summer, which awards $20,000 in equity financing.
Kan explains why Snapchat is the new Twitch in this exclusive interview.
When did you get into Snapchat?
I hadn’t used Snapchat until December last year, and I quickly started understanding why it’s so popular. It reminds me of Twitch. It’s a low-friction way to create a lot of content. One guy can create a lot of content on Snapchat with a front-facing camera on his smartphone at a low cost. As a platform, it’s like content arbitrage. You can create cheap content that appeals to a lot of people, and you can find your niche of your specific take on a specific game or any topic.
How have you been using Snapchat?
People are following me primarily to get my advice on how to start a company, what to do after you graduate college, and other topics for young entrepreneurs. So, I’ve refined the Justin.tv concept around that. I’ve been continuously producing a daily content feed of Snapchat content.
How big is your Snapchat audience?
I have 6,500 views right now on Snapchat. They don’t tell you how many people follow you. I figure 10-20 percent of viewers actually watch my Stories.
What is the audience you’re reaching to through Snapchat?
It’s a great broadcast medium for people 18 to 25 who want to become entrepreneurs. A younger demo is attracted to this. There are some older people on Snapchat, and I think my audience is older than the average. But Snapchat is much younger than other social media platforms. People send me videos and pictures of themselves, and it’s college-aged people—freshmen and sophomores in college.
Are you surprised that college kids are thinking about startups at that age?
I remember thinking about companies when I was that age. Now I look back and they’re so young. We’re embracing them in the platform they’re already using. People appreciate the authenticity of Snapchat. You’re not uploading a prerecorded video that you heavily edited. It’s authentic content.
How did this Snapchat contest come about?
Over the past couple of months, I’ve gotten a great response from younger entrepreneurs on my Snapchat by doing Snapstorms on various startup and life advice-related topics. In fact, at least three of the YC companies we just funded for the upcoming Summer 2016 batch were in touch with me over Snapchat before they interviewed. Because of the interest, we’ve decided to take it to the next level and do a pitch competition where we will potentially fund a startup through Snapchat.
How will the contest work?
First, you need to apply by May 19. The most promising entries will be asked to take over my Snapchat channel between May 23 and May 26. Each finalist will take over my Snapchat for one hour to pitch me, Kevin Hale, and the Y Combinator Fellowship team on why we should invest in them. The top startup will get an interview for YCF for a potential $20,000 investment. The winner will be announced on June 3.
How will the community be involved?
Each company will pitch us and my Snapfam through a series of Stories. We will give feedback on the pitches, and once all of the takeovers are complete, we will ask the community to vote for their favorite startup. Since we are investing our money, we will be making the final decision on the winner, but it’s always good to know what people are thinking. Pitches will be posted online to refresh viewers’ memories before voting.
What do you like about Snapchat?
So many more young entrepreneurs are using Snapchat. Older people are starting to get it—I’m part of that wave. But the real interesting thing is it’s a great message for broadcast with the Story feature. It’s like a combination of a blog post and a series of 10-second clips covering topics. A lot of people have been reaching back to me and saying they went to a Coding Boot Camp or started their company because of my Snapchat Stories.
How much do you interact with fans?
Like Twitter, it’s a way that anyone can directly access anybody else. Anyone can send you a Facebook or WhatsApp message. I like to take time out of my day to respond to the questions I get from people all over the world on Snapchat.
Why do you find Snapchat appealing for reaching entrepreneurs?
It’s where people are. I can make a two-minute YouTube video, but people aren’t really using YouTube in the same way. It’s more for looking up a video about something. It’s like a Google for video. Snapchat is more like TV. Users are opening it 20 times a day and looking at different people’s Stories. It’s an easy way to do native content. It’s more compelling than Twitter, which is good for one-line witticisms. Blogging is information-dense and takes a lot of time. Most people out there aren’t writing that much content. Snapchat is a balance between YouTube, blogging, and Twitter. It’s easy to produce informational content quickly, but it doesn’t feel like a job. Until you spend a lot of time with it, it’s hard to understand its appeal.
Twitter has officially entered the augmented reality market. The social media company partnered with NBC and The Voice judges Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams to introduce 3D animated hashtags and stickers to both Vine and Twitter.
This experience came in the form of a custom augmented reality booth backstage, where coaches and talent tweeted six-second videos from @TheVoice handle. This activation introduced new technology to The Voice, which has over four million Twitter followers and is one of the most tweeted broadcast shows according to Nielsen. It also debuted a creative experience that weaves the Twitter and TV experience more closely together.
The AR booth included animated Twitter emojis for each coach. The four emojis can be unlocked with the following hashtags (#TeamBlake, #TeamXtina, #TeamPharrell, #TeamAdam). In addition to animated 3D versions of the coach emojis, the booth had several animated stickers for the coaches and contestants to play with.
This AR activation is the latest in a string of new technology, including the “Voice Save” which started in 2013 and gives Twitter fans the opportunity to save contestants through tweets. The show was also an early adopter to Periscope when it launched in 2015, offering fans interactive Q&As and backstage tours. The four coaches bring their signature banter to their combined 48 million followers, adding another layer of engagement and interaction with their fans on Twitter.
Matthew Moroz, who leads Twitter’s creative, strategy & innovations for the TV partnerships team, explains what augmented reality technology opens up in this exclusive interview.
Why did you decide to explore augmented reality?
We are always looking for new ways to bring a unique TV experience to Twitter fans and AR felt like a natural next step.
How does this technology work across Twitter and Vine?
The AR Booth is like an amped-up Twitter Mirror. It involves simply walking up to the monitor, picking up an object, holding it up to the screen and watching the object animate while a short video starts to record the action. The videos can then be shared with fans across Twitter and Vine.
What do you feel AR opens up to the Twitter audience?
Twitter fans and partners have embraced innovations like the Twitter Mirror and the Vine 360 booth. This AR integration takes another step in bringing the experience from behind the scenes to fans in a new way.
How popular are emojis and stickers with Twitter and Vine and what do you see AR adding to this popularity?
Emojis, which are so concise and expressive, go hand in hand with Twitter, especially for TV conversation. We now create custom Twitter emojis for various occasions and TV events, from the Oscars to the Olympics, to The Voice. AR is another way that programs can include fans in the show and bring excitement to live experiences on Twitter.
What did you learn from The Voice activation with NBC?
We have worked with NBC as a partner on many innovative projects, like Voice Save, which allows Twitter fans to rescue a contestant on the brink of elimination through tweets. We are constantly in a dialogue with them to push the envelope and bring new elements to Twitter, especially since The Voice fans are already so savvy on Twitter.
How does AR further connect the television watching experience with the social media engagement?
Augmented reality is a novel and fun experience that rewards fans with interesting content.
How did you work with NBC on this initial activation?
This activation is the result of collaboration on both sides. We consider it a creative partnership because we are constantly exchanging ideas and brainstorming new ways to include our fans into the live show experience.
Now that you’ve proven it works, what role do you see this AR technology playing for TV networks and even brands moving forward?
There are so many creative ways AR can be employed on Twitter. This is only the first step.
Hollywood studio Skydance Media has blockbuster films such as Star Trek Beyond hitting July 22, 2016, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back debuting October 21, 2016, and Geostorm premiering on January 13, 2017. Now that company also owns video game developer, The Workshop, which has been renamed Skydance Interactive.
The Workshop was launched in 2008 by Treyarch co-founder Peter Akemann and other original members of Treyarch, including Chris Busse (general manager) and Charles Tolman (CTO). Activision acquired Treyarch in 2001, which most recently shipped Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. The Workshop has over 50 employees at its Marina del Rey, CA studio and has shipped Sorcery for PS3, the Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage add-onfor Borderlands 2 and Rekoil: Liberator for Xbox 360, The Evil Within, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for PS4 and Xbox One.
Akemann, who is now CEO of Skydance Interactive, said the studio is working on multiple new projects, including unannounced virtual reality and traditional games, and the first VR project is expected to be announced soon. He talks about this new Hollywood partnership and what it means for virtual reality in this exclusive interview.
How have you seen video games evolve in your work?
I’ve been fortunate that my own history of gaming has allowed me to be present for a lot of revolutions. At Treyarch, we were working on Die by the Sword, which was 3D before 3D gaming was established. I entered games when 3D was being invented. We saw Virtual Fighter at CES in 1994, and we saw the future of games could be done in 3D.
The opportunities to break into new areas of technology have driven my interest to get into games in the first place. We were part of the 3D revolution with Spider-Man 2, which was an early console open world game.
How does your background in gaming help with the transition to virtual reality experiences?
The Workshop worked with Sony on Sorcery, which was one of the most advanced motion control technology games at the time. That experience has helped us with virtual reality, but we’re seeing with VR a transformative way of interacting that’s much more than the game business. It has the power to fundamentally reshape the future of interactive entertainment.
Although games will be the early vanguard of VR, we’re already seeing a far broader reach across social and industrial and educational uses. It’s a transformational technology.
What does virtual reality open up for video game storytelling?
The narrative possibilities of VR, although they completely challenge the way it’s been presented in the past, enable the player to engage in a more complete way than ever before. The writers, technologists, and artists have to rethink their disciplines. There’s a lot to be done there. The level of immersion, the presence in VR, creates a connection that’s closer and more complete than anything ever done in the past. Characters can interact in a natural and more immediate way. If done well, you genuinely forget you’re there. VR will shape narrative and storytelling in the future. As storytellers see and begin to better understand this power, the transformative experiences that they create will be unsettling.
What are your thoughts on the convergence potential virtual reality opens up as Hollywood seeks interactivity and gaming continues to delve into storytelling?
I’ve never believed in the convergence theory. I never liked “What’s the next big thing?” Each new medium that’s ever come along has promised convergence, and what you see is more divergence. Games and passive entertainment have strengths, and continue to go in different directions. I expect VR to increase diversity.
Can you compare the medium of virtual reality to past video game developments?
VR is as profound as mobile computing, which has had a transformative effect of its own on the world.
What are the challenges of developing in virtual reality?
We went quite deep with Sony working on PlayStation Move controls on Sorcery. We went further than any other team went. On the one side—especially within the context of VR—the first thing you do is reach out to grab things. Hands are an intrinsic part of us. You expect them to work in virtual reality. VR engages our lizard brain, and you just expect everything to work. Putting hands into VR is a crucial part of being there. For Vive and other platforms, touch control will be a wave within the wave of VR. The lack of haptic feedback presents challenges.
There’s a lack of abstraction between you and your hand. There’s no expectation of parity. But if it’s a one-to-one relationship with a touch controller, there’s no room for the player to abstract from the experience. That’s key to successful interface design. If you push your hand through a wall, it becomes challenging. Take (Crytek’s) The Climb game as an example. What if there were touch controllers, but when you grab a ledge and move a hand, you lose the abstraction that allows you to keep your hand in place?
What do you feel the developing eye-tracking technology industry will bring to virtual reality in the future, especially for interactions with virtual characters?
I’m glad you mentioned interactions with virtual characters. I’m not an expert with the developments of eye-tracking, but the experience of face-to-face contact is one of the most profound things you get when you step into VR. That could be a very significant influence because eye tracking leads to eye contact. It could be profound if you one day have a natural-feeling conversation that reads our body language.
What are your thoughts on the challenges augmented reality presents today?
AR is a qualitatively harder problem to solve if you’re trying to do anything around the real world. I can put on the glasses and see all the monitors around my desk, which aren’t there, and my colleagues from around the world are there, even though they’re in the office with me. AR has the potential to change the office environment around the world. It’s the practical uses of AR—outside of entertainment—where fundamental consumer electronic uses will predominate.
From a gaming and narrative standpoint, AR is more challenging because it involves real environments. That’s a hard thing to do as a game developer. There’s a lot to be resolved. But the social implications of being able to see people opens up wonderful and different use cases, and that will be important.
What does partnering with Skydance open up for your studio?
We’ve been building our teams here and working with top-tier game publishers for eight years. We launched our company with Sony and its Move technology with Sorcery, but that didn’t go the way we all wanted. We saw VR as a way to jump in and make use of our history and strength and innovation.
Skydance had the agility and strength to take a leap on this vision. They’re a relatively new company, and they’ve grown and prospered over a short period of time. They were willing to take a big bet on us.
How is your studio structured?
We have 55 people split across multiple teams engaged in several partner projects. We have some on-going relationships with eight years in business. That’s part of the value of the Skydance deal, carrying those relationships into the future.
Will your content, moving forward, all be VR?
We expect to do some non-VR stuff in the short term, but VR is the spark that lit the fire. We’ll be developing cross-platform in VR.
This morning, Nintendo revealed a new trailer for its two forthcoming Pokémon games for the 3DS, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. First revealed a few months ago, the games will feature new Pokémon characters for players to interact with, as well as bold new adventures that will be the biggest for the series to date. Both games are slated to arrive on November 18, just in time for the holiday season.
The trailer focuses on the three new main Pokémon characters—the owlish Rowlet, the cat-like Litten, and the dog and seal combination, Popplio—to provide players with a quick look at what abilities they bring to the game. It also indicates a new visual push for the series, which goes beyond the highly popular Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, which released in 2013 and became instant best-sellers.
A completely different trailer was also released on the official Pokémon Japanese channel, showing players anticipating the forthcoming release of both games.
The push for these games has been tremendous so far, with social media buzzing over the new trailers. Fans have been chatting on Twitter about the new Pokémon characters, as well as what new challenges are around the corner. This will likely continue next month at E3, when more details about both Sun and Moon are expected to be revealed.
Both games will likely be big sellers for both The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, and promotions are likely to ramp up closer to the games’ release, including limited edition character giveaways and other goodies. Look for more information on these promotions in the months ahead, and as devoted Pokémon players always say, “Gotta catch ’em all!”
McDonald’s has been dabbling with virtual and augmented reality for quite some time now, but its latest experiment will tie it together with the forthcoming Sony film The Angry Birds Movie.
The company has announced a new promotion that ties in with its Happy Meal line, where consumers can buy specially designed boxes based on characters from the film. In addition, inside each box will be a BirdCode that they can redeem to unlock augmented reality-based mini-games, along with select Angry Birds toys.
“Kids today are born into a highly digital world–hence the term, digital natives,” said Omaid Hiwaizi, president of global marketing for Blippar. “We’re seeing younger and younger consumers owning smartphones and expertly navigating them.
“For The Angry Birds Movie, it makes sense that this AR mini-game would resonate well with the expected, younger target audience because of the engaging content, but moreover, because the content is delivered on a smart vehicle that has become second nature to younger generations,” he said. “The challenge for brands in engaging kids, however, is in providing quality content that can compete for the attention on established and powerful game and movie franchises. Nevertheless, just like The Angry Birds Movie brings the popular mobile game to life, this AR experience offers a new way for fans to play.”
This is the latest move by the company into the field of virtual reality. Earlier this year, it tried to bring virtual reality to consumers in Sweden by introducing virtual reality headsets made out of Happy Meal boxes. Most recently, at South By Southwest 2016, the company created a virtual experience, where users could recreate the ability to actually be part of a Happy Meal, stepping inside a box and being able to design it however they please. From what attendees have seen from the presentation, it’s a bit unique—although strange—compared to most other virtual reality experiences. This latest virtual reality experiment will be more for a good cause, and less focused on the Happy Meal.
In addition, it introduced a tour in Europe to help promote its farming practices, in an effort to bolster its hiring of farming assistance, hoping to increase the work force exponentially by 2022. It’s not likely the tour will make its way to the U.S., but McDonald’s could introduce something down the road, depending on its farming needs.
Located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussauds New York brings entertainment experiences to life unlike any other, using wax sculptures to represent prominent figures in music, film, TV, sports and politics. But it’s not all about wax statues, as exhibits like the Marvel 4D Experience (a sensory 3D movie featuring Marvel superhero characters) take the experience to all-new levels using the latest in technology. Attendees can look forward to an even bigger show this summer, as the museum is expected to be haunted by ghosts. So, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters, of course.
In a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Madame Tussauds New York will be launching the Ghostbusters Experience on July 1 to celebrate and promote the upcoming Ghostbusters movie (releasing July 15) starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Created with the help of the movie producers Ivan Reitman and Paul Feig, the Ghostbusters Experience promises to immerse visitors in the movie world like never before, but it will likely be the Ghostbusters: Dimension “hyper-reality” experience, developed in partnership with The Void, that will steal much of the attention. In this mixed-reality experience, visitors will be able to put on proton packs and sing, “I ain’t afraid of no ghost,” as they zap virtual specters.
Eric Fluet, head of marketing and sales for Madame Tussauds New York, talks to [a]listdaily about the Ghostbusters exhibits, how “busting” makes fans feel good, and why (after 30 years) people still know who to call for all their supernatural elimination needs.
How did the partnership to create a “hyper-reality” experience come together?
At Madame Tussauds New York, we are always looking for ways to deliver an immersive experience to our guests using new and emerging technologies. Ultimately, we were seeking an extraordinary entertainment experience for our guests to not just see but participate in.
We know that many of our visitors are fans of the Ghostbusters film and many are counting down the days until the new film is released. By working in partnership with Sony Pictures, not only are we able to bring the film to life, but we are also offering a completely unique way for our visitors to immerse themselves into the world of Ghostbusters. In order to make Ghostbusters Experience truly come to life, Sony introduced us to The Void, a company they trusted to be able to create the “hyper-reality” technology needed to round out the experience.
What can audiences expect from the Ghostbusters: Dimension?
Visitors will be given the opportunity to become a true Ghostbuster—they will suit up in an authentically designed Ghostbuster jumpsuit, helmet and proton pack and be invited to enter a NYC apartment to save it from the paranormal. Guests will interact and engage with the physical environment through the lenses of a digital world.
Is there movie content that was created exclusively for the experience?
No, Ghostbusters: Dimension was created independently of the film. Each participant becomes the cast to their very own version of Ghostbusters!
Is the experience focused exclusively on the new Ghostbusters movie, or will here also be content from the original ones?
The Ghostbusters Experience and Ghostbusters: Dimension were both created based on the current 2016 film.
In what ways did Ivan Reitman, Paul Feig and Sony Pictures help create the Ghostbusters Experience?
In order to create a truly authentic GhostbustersExperience in Madame Tussauds New York, we worked closely with the team at Sony. Everything from costumes, set-design and the creation and styling of figures was discussed in detail as a way to offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
What do you think makes Ghostbusters such an enduring franchise, having been around for over 30 years?
At Madame Tussauds, we always try to identify the most culturally relevant people, characters and events to immortalize within our attractions. For over 30 years people have loved the original film, and “who you gonna call” has become a part of American pop culture since the film’s release. We are excited to see the new wave of Ghostbusters enthusiasm with the release of Sony’s 2016 film and look forward to the millions of new Ghostbusters fans that will surely love the film as much as the original!
Fans have been obsessed with Overwatch since it was first announced in 2014. Finally set for release May 24, the game is unique in that it’s the first franchise Blizzard has announced in almost two decades. In order for Blizzard to convince players to buy the game, it had to appeal to both long-time Blizzard fans and an audience that might not otherwise be interested in a competitive shooter. Here are some of the ways Overwatch became a game to keep a close eye on.
The Origin Story
Overwatch was announced at BlizzCon 2014, and not only did it immediately gain attention as Blizzard’s first new franchise in 17 years, but it was also its first entry into the first-person shooter genre. However, this wasn’t the first time Blizzard has broken through into an established field to reinvent it, since it had already done it with the hit MMO World of Warcraft, the collectible card game Hearthstone, and (most recently) the action MOBA Heroes of the Storm. Fans were eager to see how Blizzard would take on the hugely popular competitive shooter genre.
Its cartoon-like graphics (similar to that of Team Fortress 2) and sci-fi superhero setting got people talking, and Blizzard initially described Overwatch as a “pick-up-and-play first-person shooter.” Clearly, the developer was looking to repeat the same success it had with previous games by taking a genre and making it accessible to a wide audience of players, all while maintaining enough challenge for the game to potentially become an eSport.
Then the company mostly went silent about the game until about a year later at BlizzCon 2015, when pricing for the standard “Origins” and limited editions were revealed, along with gameplay for newly revealed characters, and how that game would release either “on or before” June 21. Although additional gameplay trailers and a closed beta were hosted in the following month, Overwatch promotion didn’t hit overdrive until around the start of spring this year.
Rivaling Pixar
Longtime Blizzard fans have long known that the company excels at creating cinematic trailers, as which was further evidenced by the Overwatch “theatrical trailer” that released in December. Little did audiences realize that the trailer really was the prelude to a cinematic experience. The full scope wasn’t revealed until March when the animated shortRecall was released with the scripted quality and action one might expect from a Pixar movie. A month later, it was followed with another short called Alive.
Not only did the animations catch the attention of fans, but they worked to draw in players that might not otherwise be interested in learning about a competitive first-person shooter. But fans weren’t the only ones who saw the movie potential for these shorts. Coca-Cola partnered to host a one-night launch celebration event, where all the Overwatch videos could be seen together at select movie theaters across the United States. But fans will have to put the call out to assemble before they have a chance to see the cinematic adventure play out on the big screen. A theater needs at least 100 ticket reservations before the movie will be shown at that location on May 22. Those fortunate enough to get a showing in their area will get to see the superhero characters in the movies before jumping into the action themselves when the game releases on May 24.
Ride With Uberwatch
One of the most prominent promotions at PAX East this year was a partnership with the on-demand car service Uber to put Overwatch branded cars on the road to ferry attendees around. Vehicles included a Lamborghini Aventador to represent the character Tracer, a giant four-passenger Ford F650 Supertruck for Soldier: 76, and a pink Polaris Slingshot for the character D.Va. The high-end cars and the Overwatch booth grabbed a ton of attention at the event and helped get the word out about the game in style.
Creating The Perfect Combo
Blizzard, Taco Bell and Razer launched a promotional partnership in April to help thirsty and hungry gamers get their Overwatch on. The contest gives away prizes that include a free copy of the Overwatch Origin Edition (for any platform of choice) and an Overwatch-themed Kraken Pro gaming headset by Razer. To enter, all players have to do is order a combo or large drink from any Taco Bell in the United States to receive a special cup featuring one of four Overwatch heroes. Then they need to locate the unique entry code on the cup and text to see if they’ve won. Digital codes are also available for free, and drawings for prizes occur every ten minutes. The contest ends on May 18.
Who Is Your Hero?
The real stars of the show are the 21 different playable characters, each with unique abilities and roles. Much of the fun is in figuring out which hero you identify with most. To this end, there is a personality quiz that can be found on Buzzfeed, which helps you choose which playable character best suits you based on your replies to a handful of questions that includes the song that best gets you psyched. So, you should give it a try if you’re having trouble figuring out which character best suits you.
Once that’s done, you can show your support by downloading a set of “Cute But Deadly” avatars, which recently became available, to show off the heroes in your social media profile.
As proven time and time again by numerous games, there’s no better promotion than letting players try the game out for free. Overwatch hosted an open beta over the past weekend on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. However, unlike many other betas, this one includes all the content the full retail release of the game will include, providing full transparency before the game officially comes out. The event, which was supposed to conclude today, was such a success that Blizzard decided to extend the open beta period an extra 24 hours. However, that’s just the start of the pre-launch excitement.
The audio technology giant Dolby recently announced that it’s hosting a $10,000 eSports tournament to be held at the eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California. The Agent’s Rising Tournament, as it is called, will run from May 28 to May 29, and spectator entrance free. The event is Dolby’s first entry into the world of eSports, and firmly answers the question of whether or not Overwatch will be treated as an eSport with a big “yes.”
