Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Posted by Roberto
8:18 PM
0 comments
REAL MONEY FOR VIRTUAL MERCHANDISE
Until recently game producers such as Shanda Interactive and NetEase have earned revenue primarily through a pay-for-play business model. CDC is breaking that rule. Players of Yulgang, its new online fantasy game, are welcome to play for free, but they will have to pay to accessorize their online avatars. CDC Corporation has successfully entered the business of selling virtual in-game merchandise.
In South Korea, Nexon attributed 85 percent of its $110 million in revenues to sales of virtual auto upgrades and accessories from online racing hit Kart Rider.
Sony just launched "Station Exchange", its online auction site designed to facilitate virtual merchandise transactions among players.
Microsoft will incorporate "micro transaction" sales functionality into its Xbox Live platform, allowing game producers to sell virtual merchandise and customizable content.
Indiana University economics professor and "virtual economy" researcher Edward Castronova estimates that the virtual merchandise market ranges from $100 million to $800 million annually. This is big business!
Wheii.com Gaming
Monday, August 29, 2005
Posted by Roberto
12:38 AM
0 comments
A REAL EVENT IN A VIRTUAL WORLD
Second Life (SL) is a massively multiplayer online community. A 3D digital online world imagined, created, and owned by its residents!
What makes SL special is that this online world already functions much like an authentic community. Last month members convened a virtual candlelight vigil after the first series of bombings in London, and this weekend they hosted an American Cancer Society Relay for Life, in which avatars walked a course and raised real dollars.
Second Life Your World. Your Imagination.
In 1992, Neal Stephenson coined this phrase: Metaverse, to express his vision of how a virtual reality-based Internet might evolve in the near future. This is happening right now, and Second Life is a good example of this emerging world where people use avatars to interact online and have no problem in paying real cash for virtual goods.
I just received this e-mail:
//
Greetings gentledudes,
Been busy as all heck w/ the Second Life Relay For Life this weekend.
Very happy with the results (see forwarded message below). Just unplugged myself from that madness and will be back in touch soon.
Jerry
//
My friend Jerry Paffendorf really helped cancer.org in collecting real money. When I got the mail I logged into SL and teleported myself to the event... but I arrived too late, met only few avatars that were also late and were flying aways from the event's place. The Second Life Relay For Life ended a couple of hours ago. They were able to raise $3,500US so far, just in virtual currency alone (credit card donations through cancer.org still being tallied).
Everybody can participate to a virtual event, especially when it is for a good cause. I felt bad that I was not there.
The Metaverse, Stephenson's successor to the Internet, has begun.
Posts with pics from the event:
Second Life Future Salon Blog
Terranova Blog
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Posted by Roberto
1:42 AM
0 comments
CONSCIOUSNESS HOLOMATRIX
Last week, at Corvinus University in Budapest, I had a coffee with Istvan Dienes, research-group leader at the Institute of Strategic Research (Hungary). His work focuses on dynamic modeling of the human brain functioning in connection with the conscious mind.
Some interesting statements made by Istvan:
The future is inside the understanding
Quantum theory of the brain (resonance > foresight)
Generate self-consciousness, consciousness holomatrix
Program of mankind
Friday, August 19, 2005
Posted by Roberto
12:03 PM
0 comments
JAPAN: VIRTUAL REALITY TELEVISION BY 2020
Virtual Reality Television would allow people to view high-definition images in 3D from any angle, in addition to being able to touch and smell the objects being projected upwards from a screen parallel to the floor. Researchers are looking into ultrasound, electric stimulation and wind pressure as potential technologies for touch.
Japan plans to make this futuristic television a commercial reality by 2020. Future TV is part of a larger national project under which Japan aims to promote "universal communication".
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Posted by Roberto
3:57 PM
0 comments
XBOX 360: HIGH-DEFINITION GAMING
Consumers can get their hands on Xbox 360(TM) for $299.99 U.S./299.99 euro/209.99 pounds starting this holiday season. The premium edition comes with components and accessories at a cost of $399.99 U.S./399.99 euro/279.99 pounds.
The Xbox 360 premium edition:
Xbox 360 console. Sexy styling that packs a punch -- three powerful
core processors are poised to pump out 720p/1080i output, 16x9
cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full
surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.
Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB). 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive
allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels,
demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace.
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Hassle-free high-performance precision
wireless gaming features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick access to
digital movies, music and games libraries as well as a range and
battery life of up to 30 feet and 30 hours of life on two AA batteries.
Xbox 360 Faceplate. The removable Faceplate comes in stylish "chill"
(white) and can be swapped out with custom Faceplates to reflect
gamers' personalities or decor.
Xbox 360 Headset. This lets gamers strategize with teammates or
trash-talk opponents while playing games on Xbox Live.
Xbox 360 Component HD-AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of
Xbox 360 games and graphics through high-definition and
standard-definition connections.
Xbox Live Silver membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends
online, send and receive voice and text messages, and access new
content from Xbox Live Marketplace demos such as trailers and casual
games from Xbox Live Arcade.
A bonus Media Remote. Included for a limited time, the integrated
control center for the entire digital experience lets consumers play
DVDs, movies and music, as well as access their Windows® XP
Media Center Edition 2005-based PC's controls with a single remote.
Prepare for amazing digital entertainment experiences.
Xbox 360
Xbox Live
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Posted by Roberto
12:30 AM
0 comments
BAIDU.COM IPO: 354 PERCENT GAIN!
Context
More than 100 million of China's residents surf the Web. Baidu.com, China's biggest Web search company, is the world's sixth-most trafficked Web site. During the first half of 2005, Baidu earned $1.8 million on revenue of $13.6 million.
August 5, NASDAQ IPO
The Beijing-based company's shares (BIDU) closed at $122.54 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, a 354 percent gain from its initial public offering price of $27.
The current market value of $4 billion is more than 2,000 times its 2004 profit. That compares with a ratio of 75 for Google and 70 for Yahoo.
Analysis
Investors valued Baidu more richly than Google, when comparing market value to last year's sales. Baidu's 2004 price-to-sales ratio was 279 -- based on revenue of $14.2 million -- well above Google's comparable multiple of about 26 -- based on revenue of $3.2 billion. How can investors justify Baidu at even five times greater valuation than Google (now up 244 percent from their IPO price) or Yahoo?
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Posted by Roberto
3:50 PM
0 comments
POV MURDER: MADE FOR MOBILE
Today M1 presents Asia's first English 3G thriller, available exclusively on MiWorld Mobile. There are 20 one-minute episodes for POV Murder and the last episode will be shown on September 16. Watching one episode costs about 50 cents.
POV Murder - Entertainment On the Go!
- Trend Hunter
- Cool Infographics
- Information Aesthetics
- Interactive Architecture
- dataisnature
- Creative Observer
- Design Spotter
- feeladdicted
- Paleo-Future
- TechCrunch
- Trendwatching.com
- Graffiti Research Lab
- t r a n i s m
- Douwe Osinga
- AudioCubes.com
- we make money not art
- Pasta and Vinegar
- Lunch over IP
- Engadget
- Unusual News/Ideas
- CScout Trendblog
- Agenda Inc. News
- digg labs / stack
- Technorati
- Robots Dreams
- gadgetblog
- Create Digital Motion