Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Sony teases new PlayStation announcement
Sony’s got something cooking, and a new teaser video drops heavy hints that the Japanese electronics giant is set to show off a brand new PlayStation console.
All will be revealed at a Feb. 20 New York event Sony said is dedicated to the “future of PlayStation.” The teaser, posted on Sony’s official YouTube PlayStation channel, doesn’t tell eager fans much apart from the date of the big event.
The company last released a new console, the PlayStation 3, in 2006. The PS3’s shipments trail Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii, and many feel it’s ripe for an update.
Console gaming has lost some ground to mobile platforms that offer players game for free or very low costs. The NPD Group reports that the video game’s retail revenue — which does not count digital download sales — has dropped significantly. The group’s most recent report shows sales in December fell 22 percent from the previous year.
Nintendo has already introduced its new console, the Wii U, in time for the 2012 holiday season. And Microsoft is also expected to release a new console this year, possibly at the game industry’s huge summer Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Sony could certainly use a fresh product. Lukewarm reception for its handheld Vita system, launched last February, certainly didn’t help the larger company’s sinking fortunes. Chief executive officer Kazuo Hirai — who took over in April and came up through the ranks by way of the video game division— is trying to make Sony a media powerhouse by encouraging its traditionally separated hardware, software and entertainment arms to collaborate. The question is whether such a package could come together in time.
A new PlayStation could be the first test of Hirai’s so-called “One Sony” model. It will certainly need to offer a complete package of fast hardware, smooth software and great games to take on the market-leading Xbox. Compelling entertainment partnerships are also a must-have for video game consoles, since many use their devices to watch streaming video as well.
As for the console itself, Sony could include increased cloud-gaming capabilities that bypass the need to buy physical game discs. The company acquired the Gaikai cloud-gaming company in July, considered a smart move as players increasingly opt for digital downloads. It’s probably, however, too early to expect the company to drop its physical discs altogether, given the slowdowns that can plague streaming games on overloaded Internet connections. A report from The Wall Street Journal indicates Sony has considered and rejected plans to eliminate the disk drive from its next console.
Source
Netflix's 'House of Cards'
Netflix Inc.'s strategy of simultaneously releasing all 13 episodes of its new political drama "House of Cards" is generating social media buzz -- with well over 10,000 mentions since the show's debut just after midnight Friday.
"House of Cards" is sparking thousands of mentions every hour, according to analysis by social media research firm Fizziology. About 62% of the remarks are positive, with negative conversation virtually non-existent.
Most of those expressing mixed views are saying they don't have time to watch the series.
"This indicates that if they can't watch it all at once, they may not watch it until they have time to consume more than one or two episodes at a time," Fizziology President Ben Carlson said. "This might mean that people feel pressured to binge-watch the series."
Netflix found that its subscribers indulge in these marathon viewing sessions, watching episode after episode -- or even entire series -- over short periods of time. Complex serialized dramas such as AMC's "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" have been beneficiaries of this copious TV consumption.
The subscription service's decision to flout network scheduling tradition and release "House of Cards" in one binge-worthy dump represents a nod to shifting viewing habits.
Indeed, 16% of the people talking online about the series are self-described "binge" viewers, most of whom said they planned to watch the series this weekend, Fizziology found.
"Many in the social conversation around 'House of Cards' are giving progress reports of where they are in the series, like 'I just finished Episode 1,' " Carlson said. "A loud and influential voice in the social space may well lead others to watch in a specific window of time."
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey stars in "House of Cards" as House Majority Whip Francis Underwood, a snubbed politician bent on revenge. He appears in about 15% of the online discussions.
"People often describe [Spacey] as 'brilliant' and are excited to see him in a Washington role," Carlson said. "However, Spacey takes a backseat to Netflix, which is the real star of the series in social media conversations."
Netflix is mentioned in 38% of online discussions about the series. One in six have taken on the role of advocates, encouraging friends and followers to watch "House of Cards," even after watching just the first episode.
Google searches related to "House of Cards" also have surged in the week leading up to the Feb. 1 series debut.
Source
Friday, February 1, 2013
Netflix's 'House of Cards' creates social media buzz-binge
Netflix Inc.'s strategy of simultaneously releasing all 13 episodes of its new political drama "House of Cards" is generating social media buzz -- with well over 10,000 mentions since the show's debut just after midnight Friday.
"House of Cards" is sparking thousands of mentions every hour, according to analysis by social media research firm Fizziology. About 62% of the remarks are positive, with negative conversation virtually non-existent.
Most of those expressing mixed views are saying they don't have time to watch the series.
"This indicates that if they can't watch it all at once, they may not watch it until they have time to consume more than one or two episodes at a time," Fizziology President Ben Carlson said. "This might mean that people feel pressured to binge-watch the series."
Netflix found that its subscribers indulge in these marathon viewing sessions, watching episode after episode -- or even entire series -- over short periods of time. Complex serialized dramas such as AMC's "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" have been beneficiaries of this copious TV consumption.
The subscription service's decision to flout network scheduling tradition and release "House of Cards" in one binge-worthy dump represents a nod to shifting viewing habits.
Indeed, 16% of the people talking online about the series are self-described "binge" viewers, most of whom said they planned to watch the series this weekend, Fizziology found.
"Many in the social conversation around 'House of Cards' are giving progress reports of where they are in the series, like 'I just finished Episode 1,' " Carlson said. "A loud and influential voice in the social space may well lead others to watch in a specific window of time."
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey stars in "House of Cards" as House Majority Whip Francis Underwood, a snubbed politician bent on revenge. He appears in about 15% of the online discussions.
"People often describe [Spacey] as 'brilliant' and are excited to see him in a Washington role," Carlson said. "However, Spacey takes a backseat to Netflix, which is the real star of the series in social media conversations."
Netflix is mentioned in 38% of online discussions about the series. One in six have taken on the role of advocates, encouraging friends and followers to watch "House of Cards," even after watching just the first episode.
Google searches related to "House of Cards" also have surged in the week leading up to the Feb. 1 series debut.
Source
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