Why There’s Lousy Media: Two Models Of Production.

by

Why is there so much plain lousy stuff in media?

People ask this a lot, and they complain about it even more.  I do it, you do it, our friends do it, and there are people paid to complain about it.  Certainly we have enough material to complain about.

Lately, the internet-savvy became aware of Ark Music Factory due to a mocked video they released.  Ark is pretty much a Beiber Machine, and its sudden prominence heralded a short, and apparently now dead, discussion of talent cultivation in various circles.  I expect it to be forgotten shortly because there will be some other example of questionable content creation to complain about.
 

Read more

Why There’s No Rival To Pokemon

by

So, where's the rival to Pokemon as a game?

I found myself asking this one day for reasons I can't quite remember (though I suspect it was about competing ecosystems of technology).  It's a fascinating question to ask because let's face it – there isn't one.  Pokemon has no rivals in its conceptual space, at least no worthy ones.

Sure, there are imitators of Pokemon, or games that may use some similar mechanics.  Dragon Quest Monsters perhaps comes closest in quality, but it's not the same runaway hit as Pokemon (though I'd say it's definitely it's own thing in the DQ game line as opposed to a derivation).  So where's the rival?

Read more

News Of The Day 3/25/2011

by

Unemployment is meh, Warren Buffet is meh on social media, eBooks are changing rapidly, it's a mix of ups and feeling-downs today!

More geeky, heartfelt ways to help out the people of Japan.

Economics:
I general, US Unemployment didn't change much on a state level, but there were some improvements.

Looks like that Mortgage Fraud Settlement plan the Obama administration is floating is loosing support. It may lead to things being done on the state level, but it looks like something is brewing – really, many things.

Comics:
Geez, slow down already – the Spiderman reboot gets a sequel. Isn't this moving a bit fast?

A look at how you can take your comic reading digital, though not all practices are endorsed obviously. Something to think of and read over.

Publishing:
Barnes and Noble says e-books will overtake paper in two years. I can see that for one reason – people who love to read are more likely to go e-book anyway. Once this becomes a norm, however, the shift is going to drag others along. It's gonna get quite interesting – and I think it'll mean more interest in POD as a way to get physical books without the stock.

Social Media:
LinkedIn thanks early users via email. Nice bit of bragging-right-gifting isn't it? A model to think of.

Warren Buffett says social media businesses are overpriced, which is going to elicit a "duh" among many people (including me). That's going to have an effect on people's enthusiasm for social media IPOs because Buffett is well-respected – though I expect a contrarian streak to appear in some of the reaction.

Technology:
Has Best Buy become Amazon's showroom? Some interesting thoughts here. Best Buy is also busy redefining itself.

Google is going to develop in-App payments for Android. About time – and looks like it's coming fast. Developers, pay attention to this.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: So just what strategy do you think Best Buy needs?

– Steven Savage