"digital media" articles

Amazon made two important game-related announcements this week. The online retailer launched its free-to-play game store, which includes big titles like World of Tanks and Battlestar Galactica . Amazon customers can now buy virtual items for these games from their Amazon accounts, once these are linked to each game. This move adds even more content to the retailer's virtual shelves, underlining the increasing relevance of digital distribution of entertainment. Amazon also...

Ooyala has raised $35 million in new capital to standardize digital video experiences provided by multi-service operators and TV programmers worldwide on the Ooyala video streaming, monetization and discovery platform. Telstra Applications and Ventures Group, a subsidiary of Australia's largest telecommunications and information services company Telstra , led the Series E round, with prior investors Sierra Ventures, Rembrandt Venture Partners and CID Group participating in addition to...

Facebook has recently announced that it is phasing out Facebook Credits, which once had the potential to become the social network’s own currency. When Facebook Credits launched in 2009, the social network required game developers like Zynga to use Facebook Credits as a payment platform and even tried selling Facebook Credit gift cards on the shelves of stores like Target and Walmart. Industry analysts originally saw the potential for Facebook Credits to eventually become a...

Businesses are struggling with the idea of playing games at work because its connotation leads to the idea of having fun without a purpose. However, the practical application of gamification is disrupting that assumption and slowly changing the way businesses learn. Gamification is applying engaging elements of game theory to non-game applications. An example would be to create a game to learn something new for work: While a lecture session could potentially turn off employees and...

Apple has completely refreshed its notebook lineup, introduced their new iOS6, debuted Mountain Lion, integrated Facebook and highlighted its own mapping app. Across the MacBookAir notebook line are supporting faster processors, faster graphics, enhanced USB, longer battery life and higher-resolution displays. Apple has introduced a new product, dubbed the Next Generation Notebook, which operates like a high-end MacBookPro and looks like a MacBookAir. The new notebook is thinner,...

Several friends asked me for advice before Facebook's recent IPO. It is not my habit to give financial advice so I probably saved them quite a few bucks by refusing to tell them if they should or should not buy Facebook shares. However, I did tell them my opinion on the potential of Facebook's business model. In many ways, Facebook is now a platform (for games, movies, music, etc.) rather than a product; and it is only partially monetized. Users increasingly access Facebook on...

Written by Brett L. Sappington, Director of Research Comcast has been early to grab headlines at The Cable Show 2012 with the official launch of its X1 set-top box . While the new generation STB offers greater processing, new cloud-based features, and an EPG/remote control app for the tablet, the user interface has also seen some changes. Comcast has enhanced the search and discovery features of their UI but are not using any recommendation or user profiling technology....

Written by Brett L. Sappington, Director of Research As household data volumes increase, many operators in the US are grappling with the addition of data caps to their broadband services. Time Warner cable and other operators have felt the wrath of subscribers over these caps, and many are hesitant to implement hard caps, charging consumers for overages. Comcast is experimenting with a new structure , eliminating their 250 GB per month cap and replacing it with a new tiered...