Tag Archives: Sony

Business, Economy, Entertainment, Games, Technology

Digital Download: Content and License Transfer – Business Model In Jeopardy!

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GameStop reminds me of Redbox and Netflix facing business model decimation as we transitioned from DVDs and Blu-Ray to streaming digital content. No more physical medium to borrow/rent, just streaming data from massive content libraries. Netflix pivoted early on and became a survivor and thriving revised business model.

GameStop’s pre-owned buy-and-sell business model is in jeopardy and has been for some time now. All of the major game consoles provide users with purchasing via digital download. There is no way to transfer that digital content and license purchase to anyone else. If there was a way to transfer the digital content and associated license for a game, maybe GameStop’s pre-owned business model might thrive again.

Securely Transfer Digital Content and License

There are several possibilities for implementing this transfer. One opportunity could be leveraging a large-capacity SD card, and the software on the console can push the digitally downloaded game onto the SD card along with the correlated license. The opposite should also be true. Pop in the SD card with a loaded game and license and that content could be transferred to any console of the same manufacturer.

Is this a job for Blockchain?

It should put software game designers at ease, leveraging several design features of Blockchain. Blockchain architecture would guarantee ownership, the uniqueness of a digital license, and associated digital game ownership. The content could be stored in the cloud, similar to NFT art and video content. This should NOT be confused with using ETH to purchase NFTs with cryptocurrency. In this scenario, we would exchange the SD card medium with Blockchain architecture.

So, why is this not implemented already?

The game console manufacturers don’t profit from trading and selling pre-owned games, so there is no push. GameStop should be leading the charge on this endeavor, offering to implement this module in all major gaming systems or outsourcing its implementation. Worst case, form an ADHOC committee to derive standards for implementing this module. The game console manufacturer market is a monopoly or, at a minimum, an oligopoly. Can anti-trust legislation be applied here to Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation, and Nintendo Switch?

Online, Gaming as a Service (GaaS) – Not Applicable

To state the obvious, online gaming or Gaming as a Service (GaaS) business models charging monthly or annual fees to access their game service do not apply to the one-time purchase of the game where the customer owns “the game.”

Business, Entertainment, Technology

Hybrid TV and Game Integration

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The article I read on Defiance says it’s a TV Show Game Hybrid, great media vertical to test it out.  I’m not sure if they are talking about one of these opportunities, regardless interesting:

  • it’s an on line multiplayer game where a hashtag appears on the screen, the user has to decipher it, and then take action in the game, e.g. find an object,  kill an opponent or game character.   The clues would appear during the show and users may get distracted.
  • And/Or just like the classic movie Clue, multiplayer gamers could influence the story line    There would have to be many takes of multiple scenes, OR computer generated characters, like the Final Fantasy movie, this way the show and the multiplayer game are synced in real-time    There might be an SOA tier that both the software rendering the TV show, and the third party hosting gaming software may input user events.
  • A Microsoft, or Sony, could use their game platforms, Xbox or PlayStation to host the multiplayer game, and in a picture in picture format, show Sony Television.
  • The multiplayer games could run on any platform from PC, Tablet, or smartphone, and broadcast through the Television or streaming though Internet.

Maybe even through the new Google street rendering for gaming, and the Television show can take advantage of this technology.  See previous post.

The game and streaming may even be hosted on your sight, collecting ad revenues, but you would have to build the platform.

Business, Finance, Technology

HP WebOS Open Source as a Spinoff may compete with the likes of Firefox or MSFT

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Take an open source OS such as a WebOS smartphone, without a contract, light weight requirements in processing power, and could it be the RedHat of Mobile devices?  So many hardware vendors are still tied to Microsoft.    WebOS could be the opensource OS.  With VC funding, a spinoff from HP, which gives it focus again, and VC funding and hardware connections with a sick new phone like the Nokia Flex, an alternate shaped device, and a low price point, that device will fly off the shelves.  No doubt about it.