If you were a “gamer,” you'd have noticed the influx of interactive games where you would be playing either against or with the person seated next to you in an Internet shop. And judging from the now very noisy Internet cafés that used to be quiet hangouts for chatters and surfers, it would probably be safe to assume that that sort of gaming has reached Philippine shores.
Likewise, nobody can refute the popularity of reality-based games, not with TV shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor, The Apprentice, Fear Factor, The 5th Wheel, and The Bachelor.
Now take the sophistication of interactive gaming—considering that computer games before meant Atari (1972) and Nintendo (1977)—and the concept of reality-based contests which, in order to “win” means a test of wits and skills, a notch higher and you graduate to the realm of “multi-media” gaming.
What is a multi-media game?
A multi-media game is like an adventure movie in which the player plays an active role as the leading character. Information, clues and assignments reaches the player by all media surrounding him. A large number of SMS messages, web sites, radio announcements, news paper/magazine ads and voice (response) systems guide him through the game.
One of the more popular multi-media games is the Nokia Game by Euro RSCG Worldwide, a worldwide communications agency network.
On the day that the game was launched, players received a short message on their mobile phones telling them that the game has started. Their first assignment was to watch TV at a given time and channel. What they saw was a short 45-second TV movie, where they became acquainted with the main character of the game. From the player's perspective, he sees himself in an unpleasant situation. The movie ends with a web address where the story continues.
Another multi-media game was Dr. Inkbeer, which was launched in Singapore as part of Asia Pacific Breweries' integrated marketing strategy to tap the youth.
In the game, a central character—Dr. Inkbeer—was created. He was a “renowned scientist” who was conducting a “global social experiment to prove that sociability and intelligence are inter-dependent.” To pull off the last leg of his experiment, he needed 20,000 volunteers and called on Singaporean yuppies to participate.
Dr. Inkbeer was a full-blown, multi-media game that made use of mobile phones, the Internet, television and all other media the youth were sure to see in “gimmick” places. These media were also essential to actually playing the game, which resulted in 22,000 registrations and the Dr. Inkbeer website getting some five million hits.
Multi-media gaming would seem right up the local gamer's alley, what with the Pinoy's mix of ingenuity and resilience. Unfortunately, although Filipinos have participated in a lot of such interactive, multi-media games, none have been launched locally.
None, that is, until Character Quest, the prelude to the first ever, proudly Pinoy-made, multi-media game by Euro RSCG Manila for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI).
The PDI's “Character Quest” was essentially a talent search of sorts that looked for participants, 18 to 45 years old who have had no major experience in professional modeling or acting. The search, though already a game in itself, was only the platform used to look for the right support characters who play important roles in a bigger, more complicated game.
Now what this game is exactly and its nature, well, gamers will just have to wait and see.
A Different Kind Of Fine
The days of traditional television broadcasting news, classical movies and political debates are long gone. Today, sports and movies are considered premium content. Today, we are all tributary to a tele-cuture having deep roots in digital TV expansion on different platforms ? cable, satellite and digital terrestrial. Today, we are mainly interested in new products and services that can provide instant access anytime and anywhere; we carry laptops and iTunes to have online access to TV channels. Shows are not only viewable online, but also downloadable to iPods and PSPs. Even our mobile phone can turn into an entertainment provider.
Such an avant-garde television broadcaster integrating the shows and the technology of the future is YOURKINDATV. YourKindaTV is the UK's first fully online TV channel producing original and innovative shows for internet and mobile consumption. UK's newest broadcaster launched its web based TV channel on November 2006 to satisfy, they say, the demand for quality free online videos. YOURKINDATV features professionally produced news, as well as a lot of clips sent by viewers. The amount of user generated content (or UGC) on this online channel is the largest ever put on air by any other TV channel featuring UGC in their programs. Combining user-generated content with professionally produced materials is yet a new practice in the UK television market, which so far seems to have caught the attention of students, office workers and many teenagers. This approach followed the trends in the UK media mix, which lately granted UGC a major role.
A web based TV channel is easy to be accessed from anywhere outside of the UK. This would be the answer to all the concerns of the ex-pats living, working or simply traveling outside the UK, willing to see some of the UK shows, keep pace with the British news or other stuff. Still, there are not many TV channels available as a streaming video service over the internet. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also broadcasts outside the UK an increasing number of commercial televisions available from many places around the world, while BBC America and BBC Japan are particularly dedicated to the consumers located in the specified countries.
BBC is the UK's national television network, publicly founded through the mandatory television license. BBC network comprises eight public service television channels in the UK, all available on every digital platform (cable, satellite and terrestrial) free to air. In addition to these, there are three more commercial television networks, namely ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 (well-known simply as ?five?), also accessible only from the digital platforms.
In an emerging iTV UK market, BBC officials have announced their plans to offer an interactive TV and a broadband service in the new 2007 season. For the beginning, these services are available only for one of their shows, but it's a start. The show's interactive application is available in its full form only on digital satellite, and it is twined by an online version of the application on the television website. Due to the iTV feature, UK viewers have the possibility to consolidate their screening experience as a result of an interactive cutting-edge technology offered by BBC.
Both Karla Gae Pascua & Kenwilson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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