News and Analysis

DON’T Go Farther: MMOs

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So I recently speculated on what MMO's could be made out of existing properties – we're pro geeks after all, we want to speculate – and do – the next big thing.  But it helps at times to know what to do.

So I now want to speculate on media properties that SHOULD NOT have MMOs – some of which have been inspired by conversations.  Think of it as fair warning – and food for thought.

BLEACH: Bleach comes down to, as a friend put it, Punching Ghosts.  The series doesn't have much to work on beyond that premise, and I think its time has come and gone.  Do a Naruto MMO instead.

TORCHWOOD (OR FRINGE, OR WAREHOUSE 13 . . .): These paranormal-investigation series either suffer from mutable continuity or VERY tight continuity with little room for players.  Their settings usually mix low-level and world-threatening stuff that don't play well with getting a sense of the world unless done right.  It's actually hard to do one of these as an MMO without a continuity specifically deisgned for them.

DISCWORLD: You just couldn't.  Discworld is about the author's humor and observations and you don't get that in an MMO.

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: FMA, mixing magic and science and a world with at least some definitions sounds ideal.  The problem?  Everyone would want to play an Alchemist (who wants to be Regular Guy?), leading you to violate the worldsetting insanely.

Anything you don't want to see be an MMO (and may fear it will be?).

– Steven Savage

News of the Day 9/30/2009

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Career:
Search that hidden job market – Good advice.

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:
Looks like Japanese industrial production is up – It is still way down. A minor bit of GOOD news coming out of the country – home to so much geeky industry.

An interactive overview of layoffs in the United States

Anime and Manga:
Crunchyroll is at it again, getting a popular flash anime and another simulcast They're a fan-to-pro crush object for a reason – with no sign of slowing down. So come on Crunchyroll, when will you be hiring . . .

Law:
Big ouch here. Advertisers may be using online photos in their ads – raising all sorts of issues I'm sure we'll be hearing about. If you work in advertising, take note. If you post a lot of pics online . . . also take note.

Publishing:
Print-on demand gets a publicity boost as E.L. Doctorow christens an Expresso Book Printer at the independent Harvard Book Store. Doctorow carries some public attention, and this is a slick bit of promotion for Expresso's manufacturer. I want to see how much attention this gets the process – and if one can have one's own book printed right there (if nothing else bookstores doing this can double as small-press shops).

Social Media:
Mashable posts it's Social Media Jobs roundup

Technology:
Zipcar, the car sharing company, has an iPhone App – Zipcar is basically a membership only, take-it-and go car rental club designed to save money and the environment. This is an excellent synergy, and also an example of a good synergy in general. Does your business have anything similar? Do they need an iPhone app?

Video Games:
OnLive, the cloud-based gaming company, has secured a lot of funding from some big names – including AT&T Holdings and Warner Brothers. I'm still iffy on if OnLive can really make this work, but they're certainly getting some strong backing.

– Steven Savage

Geekonomics and the Spontaneity Economy

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I've been looking at the world of geekonomics and fannish economics – of video games, anime, movies, sports, and of course, online transactions.

As I write this I've been watching some things I found casually on Netflix, using our X-box (cheesy movie trailers, if you must know).  I was watching them spontaneously.  Come to think of it, I'd maintain my Netflix and X-box subscription just for these opportunities.

Or perhaps we can turn our attention to my gaming habits.  A few demos on the X-box are always amusing, and purchases are cheap.  I've enjoyed many Wii games for only a few dollars.  Best of all, things are not only easy to get but cheap.  A bad purchase is only a few dollars lost.

Very, very easy to be spontaneous.  In fact it's never been easier for so many to get so much so quickly and so easily (if I may wax poetic).

We've got an increased spontaneity economy.  I expect it to increase as well – e-books, web comics, downloadable comics, etc.  Everything is easier and easier to get to – or even try it out.

What does this mean?

  • Demographics are going to get harder.  Spontaneity can distort studies and information on purchasing populations (and it may make long tail calculations harder).
  • Questions of initial sales.  Are initial sales of a product going to be all that reflective?
  • Questions of reason for interest.  Was someone interested in a purchase or was it just easy.
  • Questions of reimbursement.  When spontaneity plays a large (or potentially large) role in the purchasing decisions of people, what is the best way to reimburse producers or share profits?
  • Questions of marketing.  How much did your marketing pay off?  How will you know.
  • Questions of durability.  How easy is retention of an audience when the new shiny things are so easily accessible?

Welcome to the spontaneity economy.

– Steven Savage