News Roundup for 1/3/2012

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Asus' new Transformer will run Ice Cream Sandwich, leading to an obvious visual joke in the article, but opening the opportunity for Team Fortress Sandvich jokes as well. Anyway, yes the new Power Tablet is going to get the next iteration of Android. However more interesting than that is the fact Asus recognizes the modder community and is working on a tool to undo the secure/firm bootloader – a quick turnaround. I think I'm gonna have to get me one . . .

This is also further embrace of the modder/hack community, a trend that I think had its most public showcasing with the Kinect. It's one to watch (and encourage – great marketing)

RIM is considering new chairmen, which is a good strategy in the "stop sucking" effort they need to make. However I still vote they're too far gone and see them shrinking to something that actually works, or getting bought. In short yes – If you work there look to get out.

Indie game Bastion sells over half a million copies. I'm biased – it was a great game and worth every penny. It also is a good example of an indie success story and worth following.

Weird – A drop off on Star Wars: The Old Republic sales in the UK. I won't jump to any conclusions – it's one market in one demographic. I do however want to watch this because it's a big-budget, big-name game. I am hearing good things from people already . . .

– Steven Savage

The Future Of Independent Bookstores is As Publishers?

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So says one journalist.

I can't say I'm sure about this, but it does fit the function of indie bookstores – as social spots.  Becoming publishing groups/companies/collectives does make sense and gives them some additional business options.

I can also see this becoming highly specific – travel, comics, etc.  Thus the store/house picks a speciality.

– Steven Savage

Backlog, Media, Inevitability

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In my recent predictions Manga Therapy noted that e-manga is a blessing in a way for fans because you don't want to fit 20 volume collections into a small apartment.  I think he not only hit on something, he hit on something that is necessary.

Right now in the 21st century we have more media available to us than ever.  This is a great, but it brings forth the simple factor of "where the hell do you keep it all?"  Right now with all this media at our fingertips, with this huge backlog of human history, and new stuff coming out all the time, an enthusiast for literature, comics, etc. could quickly end up in a scene out of "Read or Die," surrounded by expanses of books.

The huge backlog of human literature, from shojou manga to the Confucian Cannon virtually requires that it be available, well . . . virtually.  There's no other way we can keep up, get a hold of things fast, or store it all.  Fortunately, we're evolving towards e-book delivery.

A few speculations:

  • There's a chicken-or-egg effect here as well.  The internet has made people vastly more aware of available works, and the desire to get them has increased.
  • I think electronic books in some format would have come about one way or another simply because people want access to literature of all kinds, and with more available, there need to be efficient ways for it to reach people.
  • Consumption and buying habits haven't been analyzed nearly enough for my tastes.  There's a lot to learn.
  • I wonder if there are measures for the "endurance" of literature over time and what it could tell us.
  • The "all-you-can-eat" pricing model of books may become more an more efficient for some publishing companies.
  • As the backlog increases, I can see this being a driver of innovations and e-purchases.  I know it has been for me, and I'm arrogant enough to assume my experiences map to others.

How do you think the vast, available backlog of literature and works affects publishing and culture?

– Steven Savage