Facebook and Google: Disrupting Gaming Platforms

I wrote about this two years ago, when I started writing the Dutch version of my book ‘A Brand New Playground’ in 2009. In my book I wanted to described the available gaming platforms like Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well as handhelds Nintendo DS and PSP. But when I dove into ‘PC platforms I noticed that a ‘PC’ as such was not the just one platform or ‘a platform in itself’. You would have ‘multiple platforms’ you could access by using a PC (or rather … the internet). Within the platform ‘PC’ I defined three segments:

1. Client based (DVD Roms)
2. Server based (DVD combined or downloadable code that you need to install combined with Server based prescriptions – paid or free)
3. Browser based (casual games on websites)

Since mobile phones and tablets can go online so easily through Wifi you have to redefine how you describe gaming platforms… now (from April on) all the new television sets will be 100% online as well offering all sorts of content, varying from the weather on demand (like an app), through YouTube-channels, Google-channels, Gaming channels, etc. etc.

In my book I mentioned that gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3 are not just gaming consoles, but portals to all the internet content there is: music, film, photo, etc. LA Times recently posted an article claiming that the Xbox is actually used more to watch other content than just games. Microsoft reports that families are spending over 80 hours monthly on content like movies (through the HBO-portal for instance) and music!

At the end of writing my book I got frustrated about offline versus online, above the line versus below the line and such and concluded: THERE ARE NO LINES ! The internet is based on one thing and one thing only: Content! This ‘content’ can be textual, visual (static or dynamic, audible or software (fun or functional). If you want to build a brand around ‘content’ it is wise to first come up with a good concept and content strategie, but that is all (largely) explained in the presentation below. And of course I would be happy to help you with developing a good concept for your brand anytime.

Brand New Game Digital Interactive Branding

View more PowerPoint from Bart Hufen [BrandNewGame]

The point I wish to make here is that platforms and hardware are no longer connected in the traditional sense. Both ‘hardware’ as well as ‘software’ platforms (like Facebook) can be gaming platforms… Facebook was the best example up to now, but Google Play will be a fierce competitor to Facebook and might actually be the key driver to make Google+ successful (as I believe Google+ is not really successful in terms of active users year to date).

So keep your eyes open for Google Play and Smart TV and stay tuned to my blog! 😉