Creative

Cross-Media Parody

A sign of an area maturing is the presence of parodies. I don’t have any cross-media parodies, but I’m sure there are plenty parodies of franchises. Take this one from the webcomic Penny Arcade (thanks Jeremy): Tycho, the in-comic character, has been hired to write 13 fantasy novellas based on a game franchise. He explains in the news … Read moreCross-Media Parody

It's Alive!: Lost ARG has begun

Just a few hours ago, the Lost ARG began in the UK. My inbox is full with the details of the phone number (this is how the game starts: during an ‘ad break’ a phone number is shown) and the related sites. But, the Lost ARG doesn’t officially commence in Australia until the 4th May, and the 3rd of May in the US. This just shows how stupid local broadcasters are, or, how international launches cannot happen through TV. We have global film launches where people turn up to the cinema at midnight to watch a film at the same time as audiences on the other side of the planet. It seems an internet launch — the actual screening of something — is the direction we’ll need to go in this networked world. Don’t they realise that fans and players congregate according to their interests and skills, not according to their country? But back to the very exciting LOST ARG!

Read moreIt's Alive!: Lost ARG has begun

Towards a Metaverse

In Wired recently Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, commented on the need for a metaverse (a term apparently coined by Neal Stephenson — though I cannot imagine it never being uttered until 1992), a unified platform in which all our avatars can roam freely between the various virtual worlds. He argues:

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Alternate Reality Theatre being filmed @ Florida Film Festival

Hows that for a genre mashup? The Voice is a sponteous theatre production that is being filmed at the Florida Film Festival, it debuted on March 24th. Besides the use of fantastical websites, actors, real world events and locations, the neat thing is the lead of the production has no idea she’s a character in the fiction.  … Read moreAlternate Reality Theatre being filmed @ Florida Film Festival

Another Cross Media Book!

Drew Davidson — who is a permanent resident on my blogroll, and alongside Monique De Haas, is one of the first cross-media researchers I met online all those years ago — is bringing out a book on designing cross media projects: Cross-Media Communications: an Introduction to the Creation of Integrated Media Experiences. Drew is academic … Read moreAnother Cross Media Book!

CME = 360 Content = Entertainment Everywhere!

Thanks to the heads-up from Gary, an interesting new* term and industry approach to cross-media entertainment/cross-platform content/blah/blah/blah is happening at the MipTV/Milia event: 360 Content. The conference thread is a largely BBC affair on multi-platform content: a Content 360 Digital Pitching Competition. In conjunction with sessions of what the BBC is interested in hearing pitched, they’ll … Read moreCME = 360 Content = Entertainment Everywhere!

GDC Wish List

Ok, I’ve been asked by a few people if I’ll be at Game Developers Conference this year. I won’t unfortunately. So, if you’re going and end up attending any of the following sessions, let me know what you thought. What’s Next Panel  Advergaming, Game-Based Messaging, and Marketing I  Advergaming, Game-Based Messaging, and Marketing II  A … Read moreGDC Wish List