Text by J. Ecochard
Remember the Web 1.0 craze?
As in, toss around zillions of dollars and see if something”sticks” and actually grows into a profitable business.
Well, industries ignoring the hype may have been penny wise, but proved to be pound foolish. Just look at how much music is still OVERWHELMINGLY downloaded for free. Legal or not.
Which is why the retail and gaming businesses are embracing technology and acknowledge the critical need to get users onboard.
We attended two events that highlight this changing world. On Sept. 10th, 2007, the lovely Rockefeller Center Loft and Gardens served as a dramatic backdrop for an introduction to an Internet enabler, the privately held, Silicon Valley company, Emdigo. Founded by graphics and video game industry veterans, this company develops software to drive content on mobile phones…and the press breakfast introduced the blending of Emdigo’s proprietary (but not patented) software with Finola Hughes, a super nice, style expert. According to a press release, “Finola’s 3D digital fashion content Style Kick will be available to over 70 million mobile phones, offering regularly updated fashion tips and trends at your fingertips.”
IMHO: paying for content is a tough sell, especially with all the timely free content out there. With cellphones ads arriving (MySpace for example), even a $3.99/month already seems outdated and a non-viable revenue stream. But- the concept of a PDA/mobile phone ‘Vulcan Mind Melt’ is real. And content on everything- will be accessed that way.
A few nights later, we learned about the fun gaming destination Pogo.com™ .
Intrigued by the notion that women are the biggest Internet gamers, we were pumped to meet the Electronic Arts™ owned Pogo.com team who graciously, and patiently introduced the technologically inept attendees to the addictive world of Internet games. With over 80 free games and an additional adfree bunch available to ClubPogo™ subscribers (1.5 million and counting), we are convinced that the Pogo community- that includes experts to idiot-level players of all ages who have 5 minutes or 5 hours to play-will negatively impact the productivity of in-the-know office drones. It’s amazing.
Logo Image Courtesy of Pogo.com ™