GAMERSBLOCK

I was reading either Metro News or 24, which are two separate free weekly newspapers that run nationwide here in Canada, and I viewed an Ad about a Rogers NextBox 2.0 PVR and Xbox 360 bundle deal currently running in the province of Ontario, Canada.

* 24 Hours Toronto –  Friday, April 12 , 2013*

So why is Rogers and Microsoft coming together and offering you, the Canadian consumer, with a package deal?

First: Rogers has their Anyplace TV App only on the Xbox 360.

Second, Rogers and Microsoft know that “giving away” items upon a purchase moves freight out their DC’s really quickly. And the words “giving away” is really just another expensive monthly add on. You get an Xbox 360 when Rogers knows you need “their internet access”.

Third: Thought, I was going to bring up the whole Xbox broadcast TV deal thing with Rogers, huh? Truth is, its a rumor.

If true, I expect Rogers and Microsoft to roll out another package deal on that. Something has me thinking…how about calling that deal the NextBox?

I am pleased to say that no longer will I be bound to my BlackBerry 99XX device to post updates here on GamersBlock. Give me a 1 week people, and I will have this place feeling fresh and current. To prove how cool this blog will become,I will be uploading a poster promoting “the new posting season”.

I am not a journalist. I don’t have college or university diplomas or certificates. I have never interned at a media company. I never had an aspiration in high school to become a writer. What made me want to consider taking up writing as a hobby was playing videogames and reading videogame magazines.

When the whole blogging craze began, I started a blog on google’s blogger.com platform in 2007. I think my blog’s name was “playalot”. My blog was not popular at all, and it was just a terrible blog. My spelling and punctuation was all over the place.

In my opinion, I still need work on my punctuation among other stuff to make sure that everyone can understand my thoughts.

When people started to realize that these “free hosted” intended mono blogs can be inhabited with multiple authors the whole game changed.

I wanted to expand as others did, and I decided to go and recruit people to write with me. A year later, I financed the move to create a website because there was limitations in the blogger platform in terms of site-wide design improvements, image and video storage. I named that website “GamersBlock” and while the exact birth date is forgotten, I remember we launched the site in 2008.

The whole site was disbanded a year later due to dividing views. I totally regret bringing in others to participate with me on Gamers Block. Since then, I struggled with what I should do with Gamers Block. I let the site go “ghost” for a year and then I re-launched it to just shut it down again. What happened is that I tried to re create the work of ten people by myself and it didn’t work.

Why am I making a video game news site, and I am just one person?

Thus, this Gamers Block site is now just a personal blog of my thoughts and it will remain that way.

I got to admit I have the itch to make a video game news site. But its going to be done in a way that will only involve me. I will share it with you all soon.

Two years ago, I was invited to a hotel in downtown toronto for a home and entertainment products preview event sponsored by a Canadian consumer electronics retailer. If you must know who this electronics retailer is, it was Future Shop. It was at that event where I first saw the future money making add-on that would be tied to our video games.

Activision had a booth set up showing off Call of Duty: Elite, some Cabela’s dangerous hunts game, and Skylanders.
I spent some time at the Activision booth and while I was waiting for a rep to set up COD: Elite on her laptop, I looked to my right towards the Skylanders display which was running off a Nintendo Wii console. Skylanders, to me, looked like a mediocre children’s shill. After viewing COD: Elite, I was heading towards the ion audio display(search “gamersblockhd”
“ion audio” on Youtube for footage) until I saw some toys being brought out and one of them hooked straight up to the Wii console. The toy figure was placed on top of what is now referred to as “the portal of power”. So I asked the rep one question and it wasn’t even about the game, it was more about the toys. There was a dozen toys on the table. I said, when I buy the game does it come with all these toys and how much does it cost? The rep said that the game will come with some, but the rest you will buy in store between 8- 12 bucks. My eyes grew wide and I told the rep that these will sell like hot cakes. I asked for some documents and gave him my contact card, and made my way to the ion audio booth.

According to a Forbes.com report published four days ago, the Skylanders franchise hit $500 Million in US sales.
(Link will be posted at the end of this article). I said got damn, I was right in saying that it would sell like hotcakes!

Two days ago was Disney full public announcement on Disney Infinity, which puts characters from The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation in an original adventure. There are similarities between Disney Infinity and Skylanders: both have NFC(Near field communication) technology built into each of their interactive character figures and bases that link them to the game console.
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“The technology behind NFC allows a device, known as a reader, interrogator, or active device, to create a radio frequency current that communicates with another NFC compatible device or a small NFC tag holding the information the reader wants.”

Quote Credit – http://www.nearfieldcommunication.org/about-nfc.html
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I am even going as far to say that these NFC devices and figures will eventually replace downloadable content in terms of sales and popularly. In other terms, DLC’s will become the add-on to NFC figures sales. A publisher is going make lots of money selling a variety of NFC enabled toys/pieces with different outfits, special equipment, and abilities at $9+ dollars each. It would be a hard sell to tell people that they have to pay $9 dollars for a single character DLC.

The Disney press release says they will start off with 40 collectible pieces, along with accessories to those pieces and the Disney Infinity Base.

What is interesting about Disney is that they are known to partner with Mcdonalds to promote projects. I can imagine that Disney Infinity will be promoted worldwide with a “happy meal”.

So, if you think $500 million in US sales is impressive, and it is, wait until you see the Disney Infinity sales results for 2013.

Activision and Disney, who is next?
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Any gamer would think Nintendo would want some of that NFC money.
Remember when Nintendo jumped on that e-card craze with that device for the GameBoy Advance? Pokemon would be awesome with an NFC figure line.

What about Sony? PlayStation All Stars Battle Royal would have been real interesting with an NFC collectible line. Who knows, maybe the possible sequel will contain just that. Hell.. Nintendo could already have NFC tied into the upcoming Namco/Nintendo Smash Bros game.

Microsoft… A new NFC enable halo game!?

Oh, and what about the WWE video game license that would be up for sale? WWE has tons of action figures on the market. Whomever gets that license has a money maker on their hands.

About 10 years ago you would just buy a game and it would be $50 and that’s it. Now, you spend $50+ and another $50 just for all the DLC content for the game. Oh, and add on $9 dollars if you buy the game used and want to play online. Coming soon, you will buy the game, the collectible NFC devices and equipment, and some added on DLC.

I perfectly find it cool if it ends up like that towards certain games. NFC figures and along with DLC are all user optional content.

Sources:
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Disney Infinity: Press Release – http://www.businesswire.com/news/vancouversun/20130115006609/en/Disney-Infinity-Invites-Players-All-New-Gaming-Universe

Skylanders sales figures- http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2013/01/11/skylanders-franchise-hits-500-million-in-us-sales/

To the disappointment of many subscribers and people who prefer to buy at the news stand, PlayStation: The Official magazine,Nintendo Power, and the 22 year old GamePro magazine, have released their final print issues.

PlayStation: The official magazine was the latest to cease publication in late 2012. Nintendo Power ended in August 2012, and Game Pro magazine in 2011.

The reason why PlayStation:TOM and Nintendo Power are over is not officially known. There are websites like gamespot.com writing reports based on their sources insights between Future US and Nintendo’s discussions over Nintendo Power. Looking at what IDG said about its GamePro publication, it becomes known that GamePro’s end is a result of a lack of advertising money.

Newsweek recently announced they are shutting down their print operations, and moving to a digital service. Newsweek circulation peaked in 1991 at 3.3 million but was down to 1.5 million in June, according to a NYT posting. Advertising pages and revenue grew modestly, it brought in a fraction of the money earned by rivals like Time, also according to the NYT posting.

Going back above to what caused GamePro demise, the same can be part attributed with Newsweek. Newsweek had about 500 pages in advertising this year and having that amount of pages made the magazine not sustainable once Newsweek financial support was pulled this summer.

VG magazines have also seen advertising drop over the years. Remember when video game magazines had loads of advertisers back like 15 years ago? The fact is that many business which advertised in Game Pro, from overseas importers to Blockbuster video, have closed.

Video game publishers like Sega, and Midway have gone bankrupt and others have merged like Enix, Tatio Corporation, Square and Edios interactive to form Square Enix. Companies that are still around that advertised strong in GamePro like GameStop have spent less on print advertising. In fact, GameStop has their own magazine to spend money on, Game Informer.

With the move of some print publications to digital there are good reasons to make the switch as cost relating to printing, postage and distribution don’t apply to digital releases. The bad is that publications will earn less as print advertisers pay more than digital advertisers.

With the good and the bad laid out for the upcoming digital switch, its up to publishers to embrace the future of digital or stay on the print course.

Unfortunately,many have already made their bed early and closed shop.

Sources:
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NYT Article – http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/newsweek-will-cease-print-publication-at-end-of-year/

GameSpot (GamePro)- http://www.gamespot.com/news/gamepro-shutting-down-6346883