Author Archives: Andrew Krainin
Is Obama’s Campaign Dishonest When its Website Pretends To Break?
I’m an Obama supporter who is fortunate enough to be in a high tax bracket, and I wanted to see just how much my vote will cost me. So I visited taxcut.barackobama.com, selected “$250,000 and up” for my income, filled in the other fields, and clicked on “CALCULATE NOW”. And clicked. And clicked. Nothing.
Note the addendum to the full article wherein Andrew admits to egg on face.
Want Engagement? Two Technologies That May Redefine Interactive Media
If you follow digital media, you’ve heard a lot about the importance of audience engagement. But most engagement conversations focus on audience interaction with linear content.
Imagine instead that the audience were part of the action – you enter the video, talk to the characters, and they talk back to you. Andrew recently interviewed Jonathan Strietzel, Founder of BigStage and Peter Hodge, CEO of Virsona, whose companies offer intriguing components of this future that have the potential to create big value for brands and media companies today.
If you have the vision to imagine what moving from linear to interactive content could do for your business, these interviews with BigStage and Virsona are must-listen conversations.
Digital Podcast 52: Everyone Can Be a Star
In Digital Podcast 52, Andrew interviews Jonathan Strietzel, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Big Stage, whose breakthrough technology allows users to create and integrate life-like 3-D avatars of themselves into movies, videogames, commercials and other digital video content using just three digital face photos.
Imagine if you and your friends could star in a music video, famous movie clip, or commercial as realistically as if you were around for the shoot. Jonathan describes the company and the potential that its technology has to transform advertising and the audience relationship with movies, television and videogames.
Digital Podcast 51: Bringing Personalities to Life Virtually
In Digital Podcast 51, Andrew interviews Peter Hodge, CEO of Virsona, about Virsona’s new artificial intelligence technology that can bring any personality to life.
Imagine if anyone could have a personal conversation with Iron Man, the Michelin Man, or their great-great-great-great grandfather. Peter describes his new company and technology that is about to make these ‘holodeck’ scenarios a reality – at least the conversation part.
Is Hollywood Killing the Game Industry?
There’s a love-hate relationship between Hollywood and gaming, and tremendous friction around licensed properties and what they mean for the gaming industry. In this panel, the experts explore where the relationship is symbiotic, where it is destructive, the underlying sources of friction, and how the relationship is now evolving. This is a continuation of our live blogging at the eighth panel from Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008.
How Will Mobile Games Break Out?
We continue our live blogging at the sixth panel from Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008. The mobile games panel focuses on the question, what’s it going to take for mobile games to go mainstream, exploring differences between the US and international markets, and different business models that are being used to tackle the mobile phenomenon.
Professional Gamers = Professional Athletes?
Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel is the first gaming superstar. He talks about what it takes to succeed as a gamer – it’s not that different from succeeding as an athlete – and the “Fatal1ty” brand that he wants to build into the Nike of the videogame space. Ken Rutkowski interviews him for Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008.
LA Games Conference Featured Interview
Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel
Interviewed by Ken Rutkowski, Host, Ken Radio
What Makes For a Killer Game?
These gaming industry experts share their perspective on what makes a game great – in terms of game play and financial results – and what new technologies and capabilities will be changing the face of killer games going forward. This is a continuation of our live blogging at the fourth panel from Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008.
Matthew Bellows, VP, Consumer Strategy, Vivox
Catherine Herdlick, Dir., Game Production, GameLab/Co-Founder, Come Out & Play
Spencer Hunt, VP, Game Production & Digital Dev., Sony Pictures Television Int’l
Ariella Lehrer, President/CEO, Legacy Interactive
Chris Petrovic, VP, Digital Media, Playboy Media Group
Moderator: Scott Steinberg, Managing Director, Embassy Multimedia Consultants
Are We All Casual Gamers Yet?
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Find out why there really is no difference between casual and hardcore gamers, and what it will take for the rest of the world to become players of casual games in the third panel from Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008.
Casual Games: What’s Next Now that Everyone’s Involved?
Peter Blacklow, Pres., WorldWinner (Liberty Media subsidiary), EVP, Digital, GSN
Kate Connally, Vice President, AddictingGames, MTV Networks
Eric Lavanchy, Director of Gaming, Endemol USA
Matt Turetzky, VP, Non-PC Games, RealNetworks, Inc.
Dave Madden, EVP, Sales, Marketing & Bus. Development, WildTangent
Moderator: Mike Vorhaus, Managing Director, Frank N. Magid Associates
Are Teens Just Teens? US vs. Global Teen Values, Media and Internet Usage Survey.
If your audience includes teens, you might want to check out what Habbo has learned in their survey of over 50,000 teens worldwide, with insight into how US teenagers are similar to – and different from – teenagers worldwide in this research presentation from Digital Media Wire’s LA Games Conference 2008.
The 2008 Global Habbo Youth Survey
Emmi Kuusikko, Director, User & Market Insight, Sulake Corporation / Habbo Hotel
