Tons of gaming-related fun this week, lumped in together because it’s been a busy one. First up, the canny trendspotters over at Adverlab have noticed the URL http://games.myspace.com, complete with a ‘coming soon’ message. Given the huge success of casual gaming applications on sites like Facebook, this could be a real hit with MySpace’s time-rich media-friendly crowd.
Adverlab
also point out that the distribution of branded advergames through a
portal such as MySpace could prove to be a real opportunity for
consumer engagement. As the masses mobilize on Facebook to save the Scrabulous
game (under threat from the makers of the original Scrabble. Honestly,
where’s your sense of fun?) the power of a perfectly deployed gaming
idea seems assured.
http://adverlab.blogspot.com/2008/01/myspace-builds-game-portal.html
It was only a matter of time before someone put the iPhone’s superfun touch screen interface to good use. Step forward sneaker brand Vans, who have created this nifty little game entitled ‘Finger Fracture’.
The idea is to contort your digits in order to pull off some rad skate
moves, or whatever the kids are calling it these days. The wireless
connectivity of the phone is also set to create a worldwide league
table, pitting smug iPhone-owning bastards against each other in a
global game of faster-finger-first.
Following Burger King’s announcement at the end of 2007 that the wildly successful BK Games initiative through Crispin Porter
would now be translated to mobile, it’s great to see an advertiser
getting in early, combining first mover advantage and on-brand
interactivity to create content for the culture-shapers. No news yet on
a launch date, but to the client at Vans smart enough to sign this off
– we salute you.
www.thetrendwatch.com/2008/01/11/hardscore
On to the next! According to the BBC (and who are we to doubt them) gaming giant EA will
be launching an online version of PC game Battlefield, for free,
entirely supported by advertising and micropayments made by players to
purchase in game content. Although no details have been made available
as yet as to how this advertising will work, Battlefield Heroes
looks likely to be a huge success, continuing a franchise which has
already sold in excess of 10m copies. We look forward to seeing how the
war-based gameplay will lend itself to branded involvement. Pre-rolls?
Post-Rolls? Shields shaped like Jaffa Cakes and a trident from Trident?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7199881.stm
And finally! Interesting article on Mediapost about our primal need for more visible interaction. Hence the success of the Wii. Does this spell the extinction of the humble mouse?
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=74743
Source : Contagious newsletter
