2011 web game conference
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The document summarizes a presentation given at the Web Game Conf 2011 conference about emerging trends in the video game industry. The presentation discusses three trends: [1] the rise of ubiquitous gaming experiences across multiple devices; [2] the growth of connected TVs and cloud gaming; and [3] how game frameworks are becoming smarter through real-time user data tracking and targeted advertising.
2011 web game conference
- 1. Web Game Conf 2011 Jeudi 19 mai 2011 "From Game to Smart Game" Laurent MICHAUD Head of Digital Home & Entertainment Practice l.michaud@idate.org +33 (0)6 79 80 48 63
- 2. Web Game Conf 2011 Thank you to the SNJV team for organising this conf. You have done a very good job and produced an amazing programme for today. Many thanks to its partners, Orange, Owlient, Allopass for supporting such a conf. Thanks to the International Institut of Multimédia for receiving us in this wonderful place. A last thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my vision with you regarding three industrial trends which are at the moment blurred concepts. List of speakers is impressive. There are successful game representatives and this is one of the most important reasons why we are gathered here today. There are too, very promising new technologies solutions representatives such as Spawnapp, MXP4. There are successfully raised capital representatives like Kobojo and Mediastay, successful mergers or acquisitions (Playdom), few of very exciting French success stories (Prizee, Bulkipix, Mediastay, Weka, Urban Rivals), and let me crossed my fingers for Mimesis Republic. The programme of the day has provoked the 4 following thoughts: • First: For many years this industry was home console centric. More than 50% of industry revenue is used to coming from software and hardware home consoles sales. Nowadays video game industry is plural. Few years ago small and medium developers have moved to the Internet where economic barriers to entry were easier to overcome. Their goal was to offer more diversify game experience and to conquer new audience. Well done! Social gaming, casual gaming, skill based gaming, browser gaming and so on have been created through this strategy. • Second: Video Game industry regularly experiences gameplay regeneration cycles thanks to technology innovation. For 2 or 3 years gameplay innovation seems to be more disruptive than before. It is based on devices IDATE 2
- 3. Web Game Conf 2011 (smartphones, tablets), accessories, and features like 3D touch screen, accelerometers. • Third: This industry has a huge appetite for technology. It knows how to use abuse and if necessary get around technology to make money. It is one of its strength. • Fourth: Ubiquity is in the heart of video game industry and will be soon a heavy trend. Ubiquity looks like a mix between cross platform porting and transmedia concepts. Ubiquity means you buy a game one time, you open one game account and play on every platform you want: computer, smartphone, tablet, connected TV, consoles. Finally, ubiquity is like game porting at the digital age. That's the case for a lot of games now such as Urban Rivals which can be played on FaceBook, on iPhone and on the company website. Eventually, ubiquity allows game platforms to be agnostic regarding content and hold game innovation beyond technological considerations. So i will give a speech based on the main idea that video game will be smart or won't be. Ubiquity could be the first proof that game is getting smart. 1/ First of all: Welcome to the era of video game ubiquity The word means "everywhere" in Latin. We are used to speaking about ubiquity in digital music sector. Within digital world a piece of music is easily reproducible and can be transferred to any devices without arming artistic integrity and without user experience being changed. For a long time ubiquity in video game was a series of attempts which were hindered by three things: • First the domination of technological proprietary solutions, • Second the multiplicity of non interoperable devices • Third, lack of captivating gameplay. But the aim of offering a ubiquitous game experience was completely justified regarding usages. IDATE 3
- 4. Web Game Conf 2011 • Gameplay can be substituted. In this case i play the same game whatever device. • Gameplay can be complementary. In this case i manage items selling, attack alerts or watch my resources on a mobile device and I have a complete experience on a fixed terminal. But Up to few years, ubiquitous games experience was eventually not really convincing. From now connexion spreads on each consumer electronics device like social networks software platform does. Social networks act definitely as an amazing vector of ubiquity and interoperability experience. So, what about ubiquitous video game today? Most of fixed and mobile game platforms host games and most of these platforms are connected or connectable and interoperable. It is able to communicate between each other within a technological environment increasingly compatible. So everything is ready for ubiquity! Game developers are used to taking easily possession of technological features offered by devices, I'm sure they will do the same with ubiquity. Moreover they are taking over right now interoperability so as to prepare next ubiquitous game experience. But at the moment this trend is only emerging and will soon forms an innovation wave for next years. 2/ Secondly proof, let's present another industrial key issue beyond ubiquity: Connected TVs on the go You certainly noted screens are more and more numerous since theatre: Home Theatre, 3D TVs, HD TVs, connected TVs, laptops, cellephones, smartphones, touch screen tablets, touch screen table. Video game has shown his ability to perfectly adapt itself to this plurality. It is always among first applications to be setup on new terminals. It knows how to benefit from new device IDATE 4
- 5. Web Game Conf 2011 functionalities to duplicate, to adapt and fortunately to create new gameplay. In addition, it succeeded in proposing successful business models contrary to other content sectors. Music has always evolved in digital world under constraints. Video game does not suffer, it takes part to innovation,. Well, video game is an eternal pioneer. It will keep on going to operate as usual on devices currently available, smartphone, touch screen tablets. The next big deal will be video game on connected TV. Video Game will demonstrate his capability to take possession of TV set. In mid terms, no more home console needed, just network, cloud, fiber to the home, CDN services, software as a service and so on. The key issue of such a market segment is still game experience. I have no doubt about the way game designers will find out new gameplay to stick gamers through seamless experience. Of course old remote control must disappear and be replaced by new immersive and interactive accessories embedded or attached on TV like pointer, sensor, touch screen interfaces, cam, motion capture. Thanks to emergence of connected TV many different players will converge to game industry. Upstream Google, which has failed to market its first Google TV should be involved in building a TV appstore. Apple which was expected for few years in this segment could adapt its ecosystem strategy to connected TV. These companies will certainly join audiovisual consortia like Youview (founded by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BT…), HBBTV (European Broadcasting Union, France Televisions, Institut für Rundfunktechnik, OpenTV Inc, Philips Electronics., Samsung, SES ASTRA, Sony Corporation) TF1) which design two of the next user interfaces on connected TV. Downstream many companies work on game distribution platforms based on streaming and cloud computing and targeting TVs, computers, smatphones, consoles, touch screen tablets STBs. More and more companies operate on the segment of Cloud Gaming or Game on Demand : Onlive, IDATE 5
- 6. Web Game Conf 2011 Playcast Media, Otoy, Gaikai, G Cluster, Transgaming, Spoon, Darkworks, Gamestring, iSwifter... The year 2012 will be the year one of Game on Demand on TV. 3/ Third and last point, Game framework becomes smart I won't stay a long time on this last issue. Note that devices can be always on. Always on means that software solutions will be designed to track usages and to identify detailed user profiles in real time. So, it will be easier to provide users, connected gamers with content matching with their profile. Data mining solutions will allow this gain of intelligence. According Wikipedia Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from large data sets by combining methods from statistics and artificial intelligence with database management. Furthermore, this real time data user tracking operation will feed business models based on advertising, very promising on connected TV. Waiting for this, thank you very much for your attention and enjoy the conf. IDATE 6