In the music industry, kids are using the media in a very different manner than their parents. It is much more common to see people under the age of 40 listening to illegaly downloaded music on an iPod than a 75 year old granny. This shows the clear difference in the way we, the young'uns, and them, the oldy's; consume music. The older generations are much more likely to still be using the dated CD's while the younger consumers find entertainment more in smaller, compact devices.; like an mp3 player. However, it is become increasingly clear that older people are also using downloads to get the latest songs rather than buying the costly album or single CD's. The digital divide has meant that younger people feel that they have to purchase these products like the iPod to be cool, whereas the older generation have no reason to look cool.
Within the television industry, the differences do not differ greatly because both old and young generations use the latest services like Sky+. The digital switchover shows that the elderly had reported Sky+ useful and easy to use which shows that you don't have to be young or old for television to be easy to handle. However, it is known that the advancement in technology has enabled people to view television programmes through a variety of different media's such as mobile phones and the internet (podcasts). The older generations do not take advantage of this development within the television industry.
Thursday 1 May 2008
Monday 28 April 2008
Beware the Dark Side - The Perils of New Media Technologies (Gavin Luhrs)
Why is consumerism a concept central to this unit?
New media technologies are driven by consumerisation. "Average household spending on new media has risen dramatically in the last ten years, something you could probably observe in your own household." It is clear that people purchase a lot more new media as interactivity and personalisation has been introduced. The constant and regular purchase of mobile phones, multi-channel, TV, broadband subscriptions, and online gaming subscriptions are ever increasing. 10 years ago these products or services either didn’t exist or were considered luxuries, but are now widely recognized as ‘essentials’ for modern existence.
How do we often "unwittingly give up our privacy"?
As new media technologies have provided new services and open doors to designers who are now able to be a lot more creative, our privacy has come under scrutiny. "Google has the ability to remember every search you’ve made, Amazon remembers the items you’ve browsed on its site, supermarkets know what you’ve bought; your ISP can track the websites that you visit; the list is long. By taking advantage of the opportunities new media technologies offer, we often unwittingly give up our privacy."
What health and environental issues does NMTs pose?
We all contribute to environmental disaster in some form or another. Production is a pretentious topic because, world-wide, we are known for the rapid discarding of the latest must-have gadget. "In the UK one million tonnes of electronic waste is generated each year, much of it full of hazardous substances."
New media technologies are driven by consumerisation. "Average household spending on new media has risen dramatically in the last ten years, something you could probably observe in your own household." It is clear that people purchase a lot more new media as interactivity and personalisation has been introduced. The constant and regular purchase of mobile phones, multi-channel, TV, broadband subscriptions, and online gaming subscriptions are ever increasing. 10 years ago these products or services either didn’t exist or were considered luxuries, but are now widely recognized as ‘essentials’ for modern existence.
How do we often "unwittingly give up our privacy"?
As new media technologies have provided new services and open doors to designers who are now able to be a lot more creative, our privacy has come under scrutiny. "Google has the ability to remember every search you’ve made, Amazon remembers the items you’ve browsed on its site, supermarkets know what you’ve bought; your ISP can track the websites that you visit; the list is long. By taking advantage of the opportunities new media technologies offer, we often unwittingly give up our privacy."
What health and environental issues does NMTs pose?
We all contribute to environmental disaster in some form or another. Production is a pretentious topic because, world-wide, we are known for the rapid discarding of the latest must-have gadget. "In the UK one million tonnes of electronic waste is generated each year, much of it full of hazardous substances."
Sunday 27 April 2008
From Pong to PS2 (Sebastian Emina)
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/engine/mm/subscribe_mm/base/past_base.php
The article is an in-depth discussion on how gaming used to be consumed by audiences. It describes how only in 1973 "it wasn’t uncommon to see a dozen or so people gathered around an arcade screen" which shows that in just over 30 years gaming has progressed in an unbelieveable and incredible manner. It makes you wonder in 30 years from now what will gaming be like?
It tells of how those in the past who became crazed by the first arcade game weren't aware of how they were living in the beginning of gaming and that 30 years from then we are now able to play games against people on the other side of the world with a press of a button. "Not many of those people could have predicted that they were witnessing the infancy of what would rapidly become the most successful entertainment industry in the world."
The progression since the creation of Pong in 1973 is vast; and Sebastian Emina speaks perfectly of this sheer progression by a slightly comical but true statement in his article. "Even the games we play on our mobile phones are now more sophisticated than early arcade video games like ‘Pong’ – and thinking about quite how hard pushed you’d have been to fit a ‘Pong’ machine in your trouser pocket makes you realise just how far they’ve come." The progression in such a short space of time that gaming has made is simply amazing and it shows no signs of slowing down as the recent introduction of online gaming so clearly shows.
It also touches very briefly on the social issues that have been debated vigorously by the public. It shows how gaming can effect social lives of the audience because of addiction to the gaming world and even put it infront of important parts of their lives. "These days, everyone knows (or is) someone who has failed exams, lost friends and ended relationships because of their relentless ambition to get to the next level of the latest big thing. Love ’em or hate ’em, in a world where Lara Croft is an A-list celebrity, video games are hard to ignore and impossible to avoid." This is more of a generalized statement, but in reality it is sadly true. Kids of today are obsessed with the latest crazes and games and its become a part of childhood where if you havn't got the best games on the market your deemed "uncool." This just highlights the sheer progression and power gaming is having over the public and this is only likely to grow as technology itself progresses.
The article interestingly compares the wars between companies trying to make the best gaming consoles or games to a "vicious real-life ‘game’ involving thousands of programmers, designers, creative consultants and advertising executives – and a ‘score’ measured solely in money: lots and lots of money." It shows how competetion has always been present between companies trying to be the next big thing on the gaming market. At first, it began with Atari and their Pong and PacMan games. Then came in the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast to wipe Atari off the map with their famous games of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog respectively. And then began a whole new era that is still present in today. The introduction of the Playstation was the end of Nintendo and Sega much to Atori's delight; "‘Serves them right,’ said certain nostalgic ex-owners of the Atari ST." Now even the prestigious Playstation is under competetive pressure from the Xbox and Wii. It just shows that as gaming evolves, progresses and change; so does the top-dog gaming company..
The article is an in-depth discussion on how gaming used to be consumed by audiences. It describes how only in 1973 "it wasn’t uncommon to see a dozen or so people gathered around an arcade screen" which shows that in just over 30 years gaming has progressed in an unbelieveable and incredible manner. It makes you wonder in 30 years from now what will gaming be like?
It tells of how those in the past who became crazed by the first arcade game weren't aware of how they were living in the beginning of gaming and that 30 years from then we are now able to play games against people on the other side of the world with a press of a button. "Not many of those people could have predicted that they were witnessing the infancy of what would rapidly become the most successful entertainment industry in the world."
The progression since the creation of Pong in 1973 is vast; and Sebastian Emina speaks perfectly of this sheer progression by a slightly comical but true statement in his article. "Even the games we play on our mobile phones are now more sophisticated than early arcade video games like ‘Pong’ – and thinking about quite how hard pushed you’d have been to fit a ‘Pong’ machine in your trouser pocket makes you realise just how far they’ve come." The progression in such a short space of time that gaming has made is simply amazing and it shows no signs of slowing down as the recent introduction of online gaming so clearly shows.
It also touches very briefly on the social issues that have been debated vigorously by the public. It shows how gaming can effect social lives of the audience because of addiction to the gaming world and even put it infront of important parts of their lives. "These days, everyone knows (or is) someone who has failed exams, lost friends and ended relationships because of their relentless ambition to get to the next level of the latest big thing. Love ’em or hate ’em, in a world where Lara Croft is an A-list celebrity, video games are hard to ignore and impossible to avoid." This is more of a generalized statement, but in reality it is sadly true. Kids of today are obsessed with the latest crazes and games and its become a part of childhood where if you havn't got the best games on the market your deemed "uncool." This just highlights the sheer progression and power gaming is having over the public and this is only likely to grow as technology itself progresses.
The article interestingly compares the wars between companies trying to make the best gaming consoles or games to a "vicious real-life ‘game’ involving thousands of programmers, designers, creative consultants and advertising executives – and a ‘score’ measured solely in money: lots and lots of money." It shows how competetion has always been present between companies trying to be the next big thing on the gaming market. At first, it began with Atari and their Pong and PacMan games. Then came in the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast to wipe Atari off the map with their famous games of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog respectively. And then began a whole new era that is still present in today. The introduction of the Playstation was the end of Nintendo and Sega much to Atori's delight; "‘Serves them right,’ said certain nostalgic ex-owners of the Atari ST." Now even the prestigious Playstation is under competetive pressure from the Xbox and Wii. It just shows that as gaming evolves, progresses and change; so does the top-dog gaming company..
Friday 18 April 2008
Case study feedback #2
Well done Ben - there is evidence of some significant research. You now need to add depth (remember the PPT on home) - find some broadsheet articles on the gaming industry, consider the moral panics, look at the future for gaming, more on online gaming...
CF
CF
Wednesday 16 April 2008
The Guardian Article: Sony profits up despite PS3 losses
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/oct/25/technology.news
This article is very interesting because if you link it to my research it shows that when the article was written the PS3's were not selling very well at all. However, my research states that the sales of the PS3 went soaring up in a 285% sale increase. This is the month following the articles date release, connoting that had the article been written a couple of months later it would possibly have been a very different story.
"But the cost of the components and the time required to develop new software to do the machine justice have hit sales and forced Sony to implement several price cuts, at the expense of profits."
The above statement within the article was very true at the time the article was written but my research shows that now they have sorted the manufacturing costs out so that they gain a profit in each unit sale; therefore resulting in a huge cut-down in production/sales losses. In comparison to the article, my research shows that the PS3 is still behind the Nintendo Wii in sales and, debatably, customer-popularity. However, since the article was published the PS3 has overtaken rival Microsoft XBOX 360 in sales and is getting closer to the Nintendo Wii.
"Sony's return to financial health gathered pace today as the electronics giant reported a jump in earnings in the last quarter fuelled by demand for digital cameras and flat-screen TVs.
But its optimism was tempered by losses in its gaming division caused by price cuts designed to boost sales of its struggling game console, the PlayStation 3."
This very much suggests that Sony have had to rely on strong sales elsewhere in the company to counteract the poor sale of the PS3. However; it is now very different because sales have shot up and as a result of a change in manufacturing techniques meaning cheaper production costs, the console is bringing home good profits.
This article is very interesting because if you link it to my research it shows that when the article was written the PS3's were not selling very well at all. However, my research states that the sales of the PS3 went soaring up in a 285% sale increase. This is the month following the articles date release, connoting that had the article been written a couple of months later it would possibly have been a very different story.
"But the cost of the components and the time required to develop new software to do the machine justice have hit sales and forced Sony to implement several price cuts, at the expense of profits."
The above statement within the article was very true at the time the article was written but my research shows that now they have sorted the manufacturing costs out so that they gain a profit in each unit sale; therefore resulting in a huge cut-down in production/sales losses. In comparison to the article, my research shows that the PS3 is still behind the Nintendo Wii in sales and, debatably, customer-popularity. However, since the article was published the PS3 has overtaken rival Microsoft XBOX 360 in sales and is getting closer to the Nintendo Wii.
"Sony's return to financial health gathered pace today as the electronics giant reported a jump in earnings in the last quarter fuelled by demand for digital cameras and flat-screen TVs.
But its optimism was tempered by losses in its gaming division caused by price cuts designed to boost sales of its struggling game console, the PlayStation 3."
This very much suggests that Sony have had to rely on strong sales elsewhere in the company to counteract the poor sale of the PS3. However; it is now very different because sales have shot up and as a result of a change in manufacturing techniques meaning cheaper production costs, the console is bringing home good profits.
Sales and Production Costs
initial production costs..
20GB model: $805.85
60GB model: $840.35
initial price..
20GB model: $499
60GB model: $599
resulting losses..
loss per unit: $250 (approx.)
Sony's games division loss (in fiscal year, ending March 07): $1.97 billion
As of January 08..
production cost per unit: $400
units shipped..
January 07: Sony met its goal of shipping 1 million units to North America
January 07: Sony confirm they had shipped 1 million units in Japan
January 07: Worldwide total units shipped now over 2 million
As of April 1, 2007: approx. 5.5 million units had shipped worldwide
Overall sales..
Currently behind Xbox 360 and Wii.
In Japan the Wii outsold the Playstation3 by..
April 07: 4 to 1
May 07: 5.6 to 1
June 07: 6.5 to 1
July 07: 4 to 1
August 07: 3 to 1
Total Sales in Japan as of January 1, 2008..
Wii: 4,618,479 units
PS3: 1,673,063 units
Xbox 360: 548,308 units
In United States..
In April 07, Sony sold 37% less PS3's than previous month (largest drop in sales of the three systems).
Sony's reason: lack of new software for the console.
From October 2007 to November 2007, sales went up by 285%.
Sony's reason: price cut and Nintendo's inability to manufacture the Wii system at a rate high enough to meet public demand.
As of January 1, 2008, the PlayStation 3 has sold..
United States: 3.25 million units
Japan: 1,673,063 units
Australia: over 180,000 units
Europe: estimated 2.8 million units
Total worldwide sales: 10.49 million (a Sony figure)
In the United States, the PlayStation 3 outsold the Xbox 360 for the first time in January 2008. Before, the PS3 has been a consistent third behind the Wii and the Xbox 360 in US sales in most months since the Wii and PS3 were released.
20GB model: $805.85
60GB model: $840.35
initial price..
20GB model: $499
60GB model: $599
resulting losses..
loss per unit: $250 (approx.)
Sony's games division loss (in fiscal year, ending March 07): $1.97 billion
As of January 08..
production cost per unit: $400
units shipped..
January 07: Sony met its goal of shipping 1 million units to North America
January 07: Sony confirm they had shipped 1 million units in Japan
January 07: Worldwide total units shipped now over 2 million
As of April 1, 2007: approx. 5.5 million units had shipped worldwide
Overall sales..
Currently behind Xbox 360 and Wii.
In Japan the Wii outsold the Playstation3 by..
April 07: 4 to 1
May 07: 5.6 to 1
June 07: 6.5 to 1
July 07: 4 to 1
August 07: 3 to 1
Total Sales in Japan as of January 1, 2008..
Wii: 4,618,479 units
PS3: 1,673,063 units
Xbox 360: 548,308 units
In United States..
In April 07, Sony sold 37% less PS3's than previous month (largest drop in sales of the three systems).
Sony's reason: lack of new software for the console.
From October 2007 to November 2007, sales went up by 285%.
Sony's reason: price cut and Nintendo's inability to manufacture the Wii system at a rate high enough to meet public demand.
As of January 1, 2008, the PlayStation 3 has sold..
United States: 3.25 million units
Japan: 1,673,063 units
Australia: over 180,000 units
Europe: estimated 2.8 million units
Total worldwide sales: 10.49 million (a Sony figure)
In the United States, the PlayStation 3 outsold the Xbox 360 for the first time in January 2008. Before, the PS3 has been a consistent third behind the Wii and the Xbox 360 in US sales in most months since the Wii and PS3 were released.
Reception
According to Wikipedia, at the beginning of the PS3 launch, it received generally unfavourable reviews as many people criticized its high retail price and lack of top-quality game. However, Sony embarked on a number of price drops and released several quality game titles and as a result has received better reviews more recently.
NEGATIVE REVIEWS
PC World's magazine gave it no.8 on a list of "The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006." The magazine stated it was "Late, Expensive and Incompatible."
This view is reinforced by GamesRadar who placed the PS3 at the very top item of game-related PR disasters. They asked how Sony had managed to "take one of the most anticipated game systems of all time and — within the space of a year — turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet."
POSITIVE REVIEWS
CNET United Kingdom: "the PS3 is a versatile and impressive piece of home-entertainment equipment that lives up to the hype ... the PS3 is well worth its hefty price tag." Along with this, they gave it 8.8/10 and voted it as the no.1 "must-have" gadget.
Both Home Theater Magazine and Ultimate AV gave the console's Blu-ray playback very favourable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of many current standalone Blu-ray players.
Hexus Gaming said "...as the PlayStation 3 matures and developers start really pushing it, we’ll see the PlayStation 3 emerge as the console of choice for gaming." At GDC 2007, Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry stated, "I think that Sony has made the best machine. It's the best piece of hardware, without question."
This shows that there is a lot of controversial debates involving the PS3 and whether or not it makes the cut in being worth the money. Everyone has an opinion on things, however it seems very split when involving the PS3.
NEGATIVE REVIEWS
PC World's magazine gave it no.8 on a list of "The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006." The magazine stated it was "Late, Expensive and Incompatible."
This view is reinforced by GamesRadar who placed the PS3 at the very top item of game-related PR disasters. They asked how Sony had managed to "take one of the most anticipated game systems of all time and — within the space of a year — turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet."
POSITIVE REVIEWS
CNET United Kingdom: "the PS3 is a versatile and impressive piece of home-entertainment equipment that lives up to the hype ... the PS3 is well worth its hefty price tag." Along with this, they gave it 8.8/10 and voted it as the no.1 "must-have" gadget.
Both Home Theater Magazine and Ultimate AV gave the console's Blu-ray playback very favourable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of many current standalone Blu-ray players.
Hexus Gaming said "...as the PlayStation 3 matures and developers start really pushing it, we’ll see the PlayStation 3 emerge as the console of choice for gaming." At GDC 2007, Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry stated, "I think that Sony has made the best machine. It's the best piece of hardware, without question."
This shows that there is a lot of controversial debates involving the PS3 and whether or not it makes the cut in being worth the money. Everyone has an opinion on things, however it seems very split when involving the PS3.
PLAYSTATION® Network, XMB™ and PLAYSTATION® Store
Sony includes Playstation Network on the PS3 which provides online and network services which offer distinctive benefits to consumers and developers. Consumers are able to enjoy PS3 network capabilities from which the basic features such as online gaming is completely free. As far as developers goes, it allows them more freedom and creativity in the development of their games and exciting online/network services which, previously, Sony hadn’t managed to include in their consoles and games.
The entry way into Playstation Network is XMB (Xross Media Bar), which is the navigation system that enables a complete suite of entertainment experiences in three key areas: gaming; network and web connectivity; and other entertainment contents such as movies and music. The XMB interface allows PS3 users to experience multiplayer games across the network; communicate with other players via chat, voice or video; browse the web; download gaming content; store/view pictures and video; download and listen to music; and shop online.
Through the online Playstation Store, consumers can find such items as game demos, game-related content and downloadable casual games, including titles developed by Sony Computer Entertainment World Wide Studios exclusively for download and play only on PS3. Once users create a unique, secure Playstation profile, they cannot only communicate with other PS3 users, they can also utilize an electronic wallet to purchase content in the Playstation Store.
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Blu-Ray
What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray (BD) is a next-generation media format that delivers the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience. Just like the DVD format offered a technological leap over CDs, Blu-ray Disc is the next leap forward in the natural advancement of data storage and digital entertainment.
Facts about Blu-ray Disc:
- Blu-ray is an industry standard supported by the Blu-ray Association and it has broader industry support than any disc format ever launched; 85% of the CE industry, seven Hollywood studios accounting for over 90% of 2005’s home video sales, the two largest music labels, the world’s top computer brands and the leading gaming console hardware and software companies.
- Supports 5 to 10 times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs. In other words, 1 BD can replace 5 to 10 DVDs.
- Blu-ray can hold 25GB per layer, whereas HD-DVD can only hold 15GB per layer.
- Awesome picture quality with the capability for full high-definition resolution 1080p.
- Blu-ray Disc recordable formats offer unsurpassed storage capacity to store your digital world (photographs, home videos, music libraries, and data).
- Blu-ray Disc gives consumers a smooth way to transition to high-definition by protecting their DVD investments; Blu-ray Disc players are compatible with DVD so existing DVD collections can be enjoyed on Blu-ray hardware.
Why is Blu-ray important to gaming?
With Blu-ray, PLAYSTATION®3 offers game developers unprecedented power to express their creativity and a larger canvas to create a level of interaction, sophistication, and reality that has never existed in gaming. As a result, consumers can experience high-definition quality gaming for the very first time.
Home
Sony announced Playstation Home during the 2007 Game Developers Conference. Home entails a free-to-download community based service for the Playstation Network. The service allows network users to create an avatar character within an interactive world. You, as the user, are assigned your own apartment in which you can customize to your own desire with items and furniture obtained through several achievements overcome by the player. It gives Playstation users a free way in interacting with players all over the world. Sony said that a Home icon and options will be added to the Xross Media Bar (XMB), so it is expected to be available through a firmware update or separate download from within the PlayStation Store. It was originally expected to feature in May 07 but has been pushed back by Sony to Spring 08. This Home-launch delay is said to be due to further testing and feedback evaluation to provide the best possible experience upon launch. This ambitious project would put Sony up there in the interactive world with ever-growing, virtual communitys such as the open-sourced, worldwide used "Second Life."
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