Mon 22 Mar 2010
It’s not quite as good a ‘reveal’ as the ‘Sixth Sense’, but Dorling Kindersley’s take on the future of publishing is worth two minutes of your time.
It explores pre-conceptions of the future of the publishing industry, consumer’s interests and desires for content.
Just make sure you watch it at least to half way…
Mon 15 Mar 2010
Pink Floyd are fighting back in the transformation in the music industry from album to single after winning a court battle to prevent unbundled downloads of their album tracks.
They have a similar contract in place for physical albums and the court confirmed that this should be extended to online downloads. So, as a result you will no longer be able to buy album tracks separately.
So, hopefully Ummagumma’s 4 separate Sysyphus tracks may now make more sense as a bundle. Somehow I doubt it…
Mon 8 Mar 2010
Facebook is expanding its Facebook Credits payments system across the site in a move to boost revenues from games and virtual goods.
Facebook first introduced a limted trial of its Credits system in in May 2009 as a way for users to buy e-goods from the Facebook gift store and a small number of third-party apps, but is now rolling this out to more app developers.
Facebook takes a 30% commission in line with Apple’s App Store commission.
With the rise in social gaming the virtual gifts economy this is a major revenue opportunity for Facebook. As Apple have shown in their App Store, making payments easy and people are much more likely to spend on digital content.
In the background is the battle to be the web’s micropayment engine. Many products are competing to unlock this potential goldmine, from early attempts at online currencies like Beenz (now closed), to retailers like Amazon, to eBay-owned Paypal and social networks, but surely the web is just too big?
As social networks, and Facebook in particular, increase their share of web usage their chance of having the kind of reach to become an ‘easier’ solution grows, but they will still be one among many.
Mon 1 Mar 2010
Future are launching FirstPlay, a video magazine covering gaming, on the PlayStation network.
FirstPlay offers HD reviews, previews and downloadable content and costs £0.99 an episode or £8.99 for a three-month subscription. FirstPlay will also include advertising with six ‘premium’ slots available per episode.
Future already launched a video games mag, Qore, on the US PlayStation Network in 2008.