MOBA Games Dominate Charts In China

BY

In the month of July alone, Chinese gamers have accumulated 30-plus billion minutes (about 500 million hours) of playing time playing MOBA games like League of Legends, Meng San Guo, and DOTA 2.

Using data from Shunwang, QQ Games filed a report stating MOBA games were played by far the most in China’s internet cafes.

This chart translates a break down for the results of games by genre. MOBA games actually saw a jump in play in July when compared to June (perhaps due in part to the TI4 hype).Photo Courtesy of Games in Asia

This chart translates a break down for the results of games by genre. MOBA games actually saw a jump in play in July when compared to June (perhaps due in part to the TI4 hype).

Looking at the report, it’s clear that League of Legends (unsurprisingly) is the leader of the pack — garnering about five times as much playtime as Meng San Guo, and around ten times as much as DOTA 2. Additionally, these three games are significantly more popular than any other competing MOBA games.

With first-person-shooters, Crossfire is out in front by a wide margin, with Assault Fire and Counter-Strike in second and third. Moreover, Dungeon & Fighter is king in the fighter genre, Blade & Soul is top dog when it comes to 3D action MMOs, and Fantasy Journey to the West 2 is ruler of the 2D turn-based MMO category.

According to Games in Asia, who also brought this report to our attention, it is important to keep in mind that this is just the data collected by one company, and it only reflects the habits of gamers in some of China’s internet cafes. They make the point that if all internet cafes (including the illegal ones) and gamers who played on their own PCs could be factored in, the results might look slightly different. Either way, it’s still pretty evident that China is a big fan of MOBA games.

Source: Games in Asia

The Whistle Goes Live On Xbox 360

BY

By Sahil Patel

Seven months after launching the first sports-focused multi-channel network on YouTube, The Whistle is ready to take its talents to the Xbox.

The company has launched a free app on the console, armed with video content from its pro-sports partners as well as the YouTube creators signed to its network.

Xbox is the “next step” in having another platform to reach sports fans where they already are and are watching a lot of content, says John West, founder and CEO of The Whistle. He cites a statistic previously used by Microsoft and Xbox, which have claimed that Xbox Live users are watching more content than playing games on the platform.

While still building an audience on YouTube — the MCN recently eclipsed 1 billion views — it was important to have a destination on the Xbox. The app, which is available for free on all Xbox 360 devices (with plans for an Xbox One version in the works), was built with the assistance of MLB Advanced Media, a content and equity partner for The Whistle.

Overall, the app offers more than 500 sports videos for people to watch. Over time, West says the app will become more personalized as users flock to and spend time on it.

Structurally, The Whistle’s Xbox app is a reflection of the company. Users can sort content by sport as well as by the company’s pro-league partners like the NFL, MLB.com, MLS, the PGA Tour, Major League Lacrosse, and NASCAR, among others.

If users are more interested in The Whistle’s network of online video creators, a “Teammates” section pulls up videos from stars such as Dude Perfect and Brodie Smith. The Whistle’s network currently encompasses 135 channel partners reaching 6.7 million subscribers. At launch, the app has 15 of those partners onboarded, with more to come in the future.

The Whistle is cognizant of what this means for its existing YouTube channel partners, and any others that are considering signing up in the future. “When deciding to join a sports community like ours, being able to say, ‘Not only will I have access to millions of potential new subscribers [on YouTube], but I can also reach new fans on the Xbox,’ is really compelling to creators,” says West.

And it also serves as a good pitch for potential brand partners. “It also allows us to bring diversified audience engagement to brands that we are working with,” says West.

For instance, Subaru, which is on board as the launch sponsor for the app. In addition to a branded takeover of the app, the car company’s deal with The Whistle includes a brand-integration video with ultimate frisbee trick-shot artist Brodie Smith. The video will be featured prominently across the Xbox platform, The Whistle said, and will be available on YouTube tomorrow.

There are multiple ways The Whistle plans to get the word out about the app. Microsoft is helping by making it easier to discover the app on the platform (it will be at the top of the list of new releases, says West). The Whistle’s league partners will also promote the app to their younger fans, and the MCN’s creators will actively drive their fans to the platform. This is in addition to marketing and outreach The Whistle is planning internally.

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. 

‘Warlords of Draenor’ Cinematic Impresses

BY

Picking up the gauntlet that’s been thrown down by Riot Games, Blizzard bids to reclaim the crown of the most impressive cinematics in the game industry with this effort. “Garrosh Hellscream has escaped through the Dark Portal and forged the orc clans of old into a terrifying war machine known as the Iron Horde,” proclaims Blizzard’s notes. “Take your place on the front lines of the battle for Draenor 11.13.14.”

 

Lexus Invests More In Original Digital Shorts With The Weinstein Company

BY

By Sahil Patel

Last year, Lexus International partnered with The Weinstein Company to launch Lexus Short Films, a series of five short films from emerging filmmakers themed around the idea that “life is amazing.”

Now the brand and the film studio are back, renewing the partnership with two new films based on the same concept.

The first, “Market Hours,” focuses on Randall, a security guard at an urban market who harbors a crush on Angela, the owner of a pastry shop within the market. Written and directed by Jon Goldman, the short follows Randall, whose vivid imagination — usually spent on describing the inner lives of the various vendors at the market — has prevented him from catching a thief. A chance encounter with an actress and her lapdog gives him the opportunity to prove his worth.

The second short film, “Operation Barn Owl,” comes from director Satsuki Okawa, who co-wrote the film with Ken Ochiai and Christopher Browne. Focusing on Ellen, a young woman who is helping her best friend Jonah create a unique proposal for his girlfriend, Ashley, the film shows Ellen grappling with her own feelings for Jonah while also working hard to manage various hiccups that arise during the planned show.

Both films were executive produced by Harvey and Bob Weinstein and Lance Still, with Joey Horvitz and Marc Longberg producing.

As part of the Lexus Short Films series, the directors also received mentorship from a group of filmmakers and creatives within Hollywood, including directors Phillip Noyce (“The Giver”), Simon Curtis (“David Copperfield”), Justin Chadwick (“Tulip Fever”), and Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”), as well as actress Katie Holmes and Harvey Weinstein.

The famous mentors will take part in a series of vignettes about the mentoring process, documenting the process of them meeting with the two filmmakers and offering guidance and support. These videos, which will also explore the “art, evolution, and importance of the short film medium,” will be released in the lead-up to the films’ worldwide online release.

VideoInk attended the New York premiere for the films, which also doubled as an opportunity to preview The Weinstein Company’s upcoming dystopian feature film “The Giver.” (Check out some of the images from the event below.)

Both films will be released online at the end of October, following a tour of film festivals around the globe. They will also be attached to major Weinstein Company released like “The Giver,” according to Lexus.

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. 

Brands Having Fun On Twitter

BY

Sometimes you get the impression that some brands’ social content was a whole lot of fun to make. Who wouldn’t want to dole out humorous one-liners and quips the whole day through

Some have taken real-time marketing to the next level and aren’t just responding to events, but adding value to the content by making them a joy to read. What results is highly engageable, hyper-shareable branded content.

Waffle House

Waffle House’s Twitterfeed is full of breakfast-inspired poetry and every so often, a really strange non-sequitur and it is fantastic. As unpolished as it is, Waffle House succeeds in giving the regional diner chain the voice to engage with its brand advocates– and a really good drag net to find new ones. Waffle House understands that its followers are tired, hungry and cash-strapped millennials who are looking for a darn good waffle at 2 a.m., and it doesn’t judge.