kidmercury

Let's get one thing down straight off the bat:

Games are a big part of the way to monetize free media.

And so, I'm quite delighted to hear that Eminem's forthcoming new album, Relapse (see our song for Eminem), will be marketed in part by an iPhone game. A few immediate issues:

1. No idea what the premise of the game is, though an early screenshot as well as some of the songs from the album that have been leaked suggest it is something about violence and killing people. This is amusing and all, although I think the best games, like the best music, will inspire people. Not so sure how inspirational killing people in a video game is. Likewise, I'm a bit disappointed in the new Eminem tracks I've heard so far; the verbal trickery is still there, though it seems a bit like he's run out of things to say. Vintage Eminem though, back when rapped about his ambitions, struggles, and being the best he could be, is very inspirational -- and I think that would make for a better foundation for a game.

2. The game is being released for the iPhone. A web-based game, in my opinion, would be a better and more lucrative place to start (as well as one that is much, much, MUCH cheaper to develop for) -- though all platforms will need to be covered, and gaming consoles (i.e. xBox, Wiii, PS3) and the iPhone will allow for a much richer gaming experience. Personally, if I were in charge of this project, I would have tried to build a game for Facebook first; I think this would be cheaper to build for, easier to monetize, superior for marketing, and would provide a cost-effective way of finding what works and what doesn't -- at which point more costly games for consoles could be developed with a better understanding.

3. The game needs to be able to be played in isolation and with others. I don't know if this is being done yet, although it seems almost certain that the game is not social enough. The more social the game is, the more viral it will be, which will help immensely for marketing. It will also introduce other monetization opportunities, such as tournaments, buying things for fellow gamers, sending virtual gifts, product placement (i.e. in-game advertising). Most importantly, a social game builds a more passionate fan community. This enables the musician to leverage his/her influence to sell products he/she recommends (for more on this, see our previous post "Rock Star in a Box," among other posts). To this end, I would expect musicians to become more of a part of the games and another way they connect with fans as this trend progresses.

Rock Band

The game Rock Band is something I feel all musicians and social media revolutionaries should watch closely. Check the Wikipedia page, it's pretty good.

The most important thing about Rock Band, in my opinion, is that they are moving towards making and distributing games that are specific to certain artists. Wikipedia notes that the band Pearl Jam is working on a Rock Band-related project that will allow fans to vote for their favorite live versions of the band's music. And in October 2008, an agreement was reached to develop The Beatles: Rock Band, a game built on the music of the Beatles. One small step for John, Paul, Ringo, and George -- but one giant step for the future of music. This is the future of music marketing, how musicians develop their brand, and how musicians make money. This is crucial to note because music is a leader in media trends -- where music goes, we can expect other forms of media (movies, photography, poetry, novels, etc) to follow.

Of Course, Don't Forget About Porn!

While I am juvenile enough to chuckle about it, I'm not joking: porn, like music, is a media trends leader, and should be watched closely. I would blog more about trends in porn, but you know how it is, I don't want to go in that direction and link to the interesting stuff out there. Which of course, I'm just looking at for market research, no other reason.

Seriously though, I would expect to see the same things in porn. Which are:

1. Porn being free
2. Games being built that help build the porn star's brand (use your imagination here )
3. Role playing is a big part of fantasy of all kinds, and games are largely about helping people experience their fantasies -- whether it is being a big rock star, having sex with a porn star, being a porn star, etc. As a result, game developers should think about what are the fantasies of their target audience, and how they can go about helping fulfill those fantasies through games. A psychological approach is thus well warranted. Finally it looks like all those astrology books I read might be paying off!!!

The song for the post is "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" by the Backstreet Boys. LOL, terrible, I know. But the point is valid: don't play games with hearts, but rather with fantasies.