E-Sports, Junior Varsity

E-sports have arrived. The scene of professional gaming has experienced such explosive growth over the past 18 months or so, it’s undeniable that gamers are ready and anxious for this new industry to flourish. While the concept of playing video games for a living is nothing new, the increasing opportunities to participate and compete for ever-increasing stakes are attracting more and more players to the tournament scene, which subsequently receiving larger and larger audiences.

Why the seemingly overnight explosion of interest? Since the first competitive video games in arcades, video games have been a natural fit for tournament style spectating and commentary. The trouble was most events have to be local, either organized within arcades or as auxiliary features to bigger events. Players and spectators all had to be in the same physical location. With the advent of the internet and quick adoption of online gaming, these conditions changed, enabling more tournaments to happen more often.

As the amount of online gamers began to increase, so did their bandwidth speeds. Traditionally limited to the programming offered by your cable/satellite provider, consumers now have an ever-increasing amount of alternative media options available online. Many tournament game matches (or “casts”, as they are often called by commentators) are available on video sharing sites such as YouTube. However, as with most any other sport, viewers tend to want their action live. Live steams of e-sports tournaments have been available more and more frequently over the past 12 months, and are quickly becoming standard fare for the industry. Social networking has enabled the posting a single link to reach thousands of people in seconds, allowing them to “tune-in” to the action as it happens.

Publishers have taken notice of the increasing demands for e-sports and pro gaming. Games are beginning to include “spectator” modes and other tools that aid in the analysis/commentating of matches in progress, as well as for recording matches to review later.

It is for these reasons I think that e-sports has achieved a new level of maturity, and I expect it to only continue to grow in popularity. If the past year is any indication of what is to come for the pro gaming scene, the next few years hold immense opportunity for both players and companies alike.”

By Robbie Wanamaker | Project Manager | Metaverse Mod Squad, Inc.

5 Bizarre Conference Rules

I’ve recently seen an influx of articles on the need for schmoozing and revisiting social skills. Two of the best so far are this article from Peter Bregman about his SXSW conference going experience  and “Has Screen Time Killed Your Schmoozing Skills” by  Jessica Stillmen and it reminded me of a few things.  First, the Digital Kids Conference is coming up on April 25^th and 26^th and second, most people do not enjoy going to conferences because of the large crowds of unknown people.  So on the latter, I thought I would share a few of my hard-learned lessons in hope that those of you who are still molding and shaping your conference-going persona, can really take advantage of all the Digital Kids Conference has to offer.

Rule 1: Get over yourself.

Nobody is paying attention to you – so get over yourself.  What’s that, you say? You may think that’s harsh. It’s not.  Just like you’re sitting there feeling awkward or uncomfortable or wondering if your tuna sandwich made your breath stinky; others are wondering if you noticed their baby’s spittle on their shirt, their onion breath, or whether or not they put deodarant on that morning. Trust me; no one has time to think about you – unless you make them.

Rule 2:  Make them think about you: Shock and Awe.

Now that you’ve realized that the person next to you is really not thinking about you AND had tuna fish with onions for lunch, please turn to them and ask, “Did you have tuna fish for lunch?”

Whoa?! What do you want me to do?

Shock and then awe them.  It doesn’t give them the opportunity to put up any defenses. Disarm them and then introduce yourself.  My other favorite is getting a glimpse of someone’s name tag and then walking up to them as if we’ve been friends for decades. It sometimes backfires when people are wearing someone else’s badge, but it’s still a fun conversation starter and they spend those first few moments trying to remember how they know you instead of thinking about all the ways they could be self-conscious and then they feel the sweet relief when I let them off the hook by saying we have never met.

Rule 3:  If at first you don’t succeed…

Forget ‘em. There are hundreds or thousands of other more interesting people to meet and talk to! But…

Rule 3.5: If you do succeed… Be Authentic!

Hey, you may be at a Gaming Conference and that hardcore gamer may want to talk about his My Little Pony collection. Let him! He’s passionate and talking. If you have no idea what they are talking about – that’s cool, ask them.   Asking questions increases your knowledge! And knowledge makes you more interesting.  No matter how absurd… be authentic!  Everybody has something about them that they are passionate about – be interested in what they are saying and if you’re not, steer the conversation towards something relevant – such as the sessions at the conference.  Or find someone who might be interested in their conversation and be a connector!

Rule 4: Don’t monopolize your new friend’s time.

There are hundreds to thousands of people to meet.  See Rule 3.  Make your conversations impressionable and short.  Get their name right (Don’t call me Regina for instance – that’s not my name.  By a show of hands, who has the Ting Ting’s song in their head now?) Find out what they are working on, think about how you can help them out, and make the conversation memorable.  Give them your business card (poor Seth Macfarlane – but that’s a longer story for another day) or take their card with the expectation that you guys will connect after the conference or at a later date.   Don’t be offended at the short conversation!  It’s cool, it’s actually a sign of respect!

Rule 5: Go to the right conference.

So, you’re now at the conference, less self-conscious, chatting people up and feeling the groove, but you’re finding that you’re not necessarily meeting the people who want to have the conversations that you do… Well, I suggest planning on going to the sessions that you enjoy.  Remember:  Birds of a feather (typically) flock together.  You want to talk tech, attend tech sessions.  You want to talk community, hit up those sessions.  If you want to talk Digital Kids and attend a Salesforce conference where Metallica is headlining, we think you may have gone to the wrong conference and suggest attending Digital Kids.   But most of all, remember you are there to enjoy the conference and learn something new.

On that note, I will sign off and say that I try to meet 10 new people every day.  I will be at the Digital Kids Conference and would love to meet some new faces and say hello to a few I’ve met before.  Please don’t be shy, come up and say hello – as if we are old friends and I promise to eat something stinky for lunch!

-Reg Weiner | VP Professional Services | Metaverse Mod Squad, Inc.

2013: The Year of the Tablet

As we ponder the future of computing, we ought to first take a review of the past.  In the late 1940s and 1950s, the concept of the mainframe computer was pioneered.  In the 1960s, the mainframe became prevalent.  In the 1970s, the mainframe matured, but the advent of the integrated circuit hinted at something new to come, and by the middle of that decade, the personal computer was available to a few early adopters.  The 1980s were heady days indeed, with computers getting more powerful, and even portable.  There were a plethora of operating systems and models (I owned an Osborne 64 and an Apple IIe, dabbling with a TRS-80).  The 1990s saw the falling-away of most of these, with Microsoft Windows-based machines coming to dominate.

That decade also saw the hint of something new: truly mobile shirt-pocket devices combining telephony and (rudimentary at first) data processing.  Apple made a first foray into mobile computing, failing to conquer that territory (though they came back with a vengeance a decade and some change later, this time to stay).  In the 2000s, mobile devices swarmed across the digital landscape, much as PCs did in the 1980s.  Clearly, computing is in the midst of another sea change, like decades ago when the mainframe came to be largely replaced by the PC.  Now the PC is being supplanted by tablets and mobile phones.

As with any technological change, there will be winners and losers as the PC fades away and retreats to niche use over the next 3 to 5 years.  I think the clear loser will be Microsoft: the company the profited the most handsomely from the ascent of the PC stands to hurt the most by its fall.  Microsoft, that 400-pound gorilla that came to dominate an entire industry, but which could not pivot in time to adapt to the new mobile landscape.

Or can it?

Just when some in the tech industry were beginning to write Microsoft’s obituary, along comes Windows 8.  I must admit, even I was surprised to read some of the reviews, which are mixed but leaning toward the positive, of Windows 8.  Slim, efficient, eye-catching.  Not the usual adjectives applied to Microsoft operating systems.  Windows 8 is designed to run on both PCs and tablets, with an interface that puts what matters to users right in front of their noses, on the home screen.  Microsoft clearly “gets it.”  The PC is not the future of computing.  It remains a sizeable market and is not going away tomorrow or next year, but is has peaked and is now in terminal decline.

Of course, coming up with a “concept OS” and coming out with a viable product able to run on the variety of devices extant on the market (and new ones yet to come) are two different things.  However, I think Microsoft will pull it off.  They have the resources, the expertise, and (importantly) the commitment to cause.  Windows 8 is an existential issue to Microsoft.  It is not like WebOS was to HP: a diversion and pet project whose success or failure mattered little to the organization.  OSes are Microsoft’s bread and butter.  If Windows 8 fails to grab a foothold in the mobile market, Microsoft is looking at a long, inglorious retreat to game consoles and other niches.

Microsoft is not going to “go quietly into that good night.”  They have the cash and the credit and the resources to put up an epic fight for the mobile market.  And they will.  Whether they will win or not…I think at this point in time it’s even money.  I could be persuaded either way.   But they will fight.  Which brings me to the point of this post.

Microsoft is coming rather late to the mobile “party.”  They have very little market share, and are up against Apple, which has already carved out an empire formidable in both breadth and depth on the mobile landscape.  They are up against Android as well…an OS whose users adopted it in large part to escape from large, overbearing corporations leveraging their OS dominance to bend the market to their will.  How, then, can Microsoft pry itself into this market as a Johnny-come-lately?

The same way it beat Apple in the PC market back in the 1990s, of course.  Bankroll cheaper hardware running its OS.

I’m not going to predict whether Microsoft will succeed.  But what I will predict, confidently, is that the last quarter of this year and 2013 are going to see a barrage of cheap but capable devices, with telephony and without, with Microsoft Windows 8 installed.  Every indication is that Windows 8 is going to at least be a respectable OS.  It’s going to be a contender, and with Microsoft subsidizing Windows 8 devices, even Apple is going to have to bend on pricing (which it can afford to do) to compete.  We’ll see Microsoft tossing out subsidies (I would not be surprised to see devices ship with a code good for $20 of free apps at the Windows 8 app store) left and right.

The outcome is going to be tablets and mobile devices priced even more accessibly to everyone.  Between another iteration of Moore’s Law and Microsoft subsidies, tablets with the specs of a $499 tablet today will be going for $159 by later in 2013.  Today’s entry-level $299 tablets will be $89 then.  Smartphones that go for $249 now will be $49 or even less with two-year activation.  Even geeks who hate Windows with a passion will buy these cheap Win8 tablets—and root them and load Android.

2013 will be the inflection point that establishes tablets and smartphones as the future of computing.  And this rising tide will lift all boats, including those of software developers, who will have a larger userbase with higher specs to write games and other apps for.  We live in interesting times, and they’re only going to get more interesting as the price of mobile hardware able to do basic computing, graphics, Facebooking and Angry Birds falls well into the double-digits.  Personally, I don’t really care whether Microsoft pulls its come-from-behind victory here at the bottom of the ninth.  I’m just going to enjoy the cheap gear.

- Benjamin Stockton | Project Manager | Metaverse Mod Squad, Inc.

PoLINtically Correct

Being a basketball fan and Asian American, I couldn’t help myself. I had caught the “Lin Fever.” You may have likely already read or heard about “LINsanity.” The term is being used to capture the insane development of Jeremy Lin’s status from being a benchwarmer to NBA’s latest phenom during the start of this basketball season. Lin had brought about a tremendous amount of buzz in the sports world and in outer circles as well.

Lin elevated the New York Knicks to a performance level that had brought back a new kind of hope and excitement for the organization and fans alike. The catalyst to all this hoopla was during a game that happened back on February 10 between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

As Jeremy Lin’s brand has gathered momentum toward the right direction, it hasn’t avoided some of the negative stereotypes and comment mishaps. Regarding social media, Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock posted on Twitter, “Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight.” In another incidence, though not specifically social media but involved a mobile headline, an ESPN employee has been dismissed and another suspended over a question phrased, “If there is a chink in the armor, where can Lin improve his game?” Just to keeps things light, this incidence has been parodied on Saturday Night Live. Even with a knee injury taking him out of the rest of the season, Lin will still have to be careful in how his brand is managed.

Unrelated to Jeremy Lin, but noteworthy on the topic of social media blunders, you may remember Ashton Kutcher’s mistake a while back regarding a tweet involving the situation over the firing of Penn State Coach Joe Paterno highlighted in an article on AllThingsD. Not knowing the facts about the incident, Kutcher tweeted, “How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste.” Though all is not totally lost, this indeed has tarnished their brand and highlights the importance of being careful about what is communicated online. After the unfortunate incident, Kutcher eventually handed over his Twitter to a team to manage it professionally, which was a smart move.

This brings me to my main topic. As professionals and companies involved in social media, how do we balance being authentic with being able to communicate to our fans without upsetting and driving away those fans we worked so hard to gain? I think that it is best to error on the safer side but you can still be real about how you post on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media avenues. Start by connecting with your most loyal fans. Share your experiences and focus on what counts. Here are some thoughts about managing your social media brand:

• Have a social media branding strategy.
• Be sure to have a secure password for your social media accounts.
• If more than one party and/or admins are posting, ensure that what is being posted is in sync with the voice of the brand.
• Monitor what’s being said about your brand.
• Hire a professional to manage your social media accounts. That’s what we are here for!

Remember that building your brand using social media is for the long haul and takes time. What you say today can greatly effect how others perceive your brand now and well into the future.

-Isaac Wong

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

As a parent, I learned early on that I could either spend my days yelling at my children for everything they did, or I could spend them having fun, making messes, and worrying about the big things. When my first child turned 2, there were a LOT of little things. He loved to touch things, and make messes. Every morning he HAD to pull every single book off the bookshelf and look at the words. I can’t tell you how many times we woke up to an entire refrigerator displayed on my living room floor. The control-freak side of me, started to freak out.

Then, one morning, I read an article in our local newspaper about not sweating the small things. If it wasn’t going to kill, hurt, or maim them, let it go. Let them explore. It’s how they learn their independence.

While some things still get me, (I count backwards from 10, often) I really try to use this advice both with my children, and in live-moderation.

I am not the end all – be all, of this online world. The players are. If they are frustrated with me and want to tell me, I let them, even if they say it in the meanest way possible.  A rude child has yet to hurt, kill or maim me.

If they want to tell me I stink, or my favorite team is the worst team in the history of teams, I let them and then, laugh about it. I like to toss in a joke to make them laugh with me “I smell? Gasp! I was wondering what that stink was!”

Kids are kids. They want to test you; they want to see how far they can push you. They REALLY want to rile you up, but most of all; they want to see things, to know things, to learn things.  Let them, and everyone’s day will be more fun.

– Michelle Ramage

The Little Rectangle That Could

Mobile gaming is really starting to come into its own. Devices just keep getting faster and with that comes higher-quality games. There will always be “bathroom games”, but phones and tablets are starting to replace the portable consoles from Nintendo and Sony. I thought I’d take a few moments to talk about some of the great games that I’ve been playing lately.

Hero Academy is a turn-based tactics game by Robot Entertainment (Age of Empires Online, Orcs Must Die!). Players go back and forth taking turns, trying to kill all of the enemy’s units or take out their crystals. You can play at your own pace, similar to Words with Friends. With three distinct teams, tons of different units, and random maps and items, you’ll be getting your strategy fix for a long time to come.

Platforms: iOS
Price: Free (additional features for $)

 

Next is Galaxy on Fire 2 (HD) from Fishlabs. It’s an open-world space simulation that includes dog fighting, mining, and trading. Missions guide you through the different zones, but you are free to explore and get sidetracked as you see fit. With amazing graphics, especially in the HD versions (Android, 4S, and iPad 2+), it’s easy to spend a good chunk of time sightseeing instead of killing things. It may seem a little expensive, but it’s a full game, not the usually “freemium” fare that you see on the app stores. Take the trial for a test flight if you’re not ready to jump completely in.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac
Price: Free (Android), Free Trial, $4.99, $9.99 (iOS HD), $19.99 (Mac)

 

If you’re in the mood for a little 80s arcade nostalgia, check out Midway Arcade. It features a virtual arcade with ten games ready to go. All the classic sounds of an arcade are there. You can almost smell the pizza and dirty quarters. You’ll play Spy Hunter, Defender, and Arch Rivals, to name a few. There’s also Roll Ball (Skee-Ball), Pool, and an Arch Rivals-themed Arcade Basketball game. As you play, you’ll collect tickets. Once you have enough, different prizes will be unlocked, like Rampage stuffed dolls and models of planets. Additional game packs, like one that includes Gauntlet, can be purchased for 99 cents.

Platforms: iOS
Price: $1.99 (99 cents for additional game packs)

 

Finally, I’d like to talk about Dark Legends from Spacetime Studios (Pocket Legends, Star Legends). It’s a vampire-themed action MMO. No, not the sparkly kind of vampires; think more like Masquerade: dark and gritty. If you’ve played the previous Spacetime games, you might assume this one is going to be “kiddy”. With brutal attacks and blood splatter on the screen, Dark Legends is going to be anything but childish. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for news and release dates.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Chrome
Price: Free (additional items for $)

 

These are just a few of the thousands of mobile games on the market. Get out there and find some that you love! It seems like every week there are new and amazing games to try. Now if someone would just make a universal controller…

Matt Hostler
Project Manager

The Biggest Mover

Do you think you want to move?  How long have you lived at your present home?  If it is over 7 years, then you are in for a big surprise.  Maybe you are one of those people that told me – I love to move, it is the best feeling to clean out.  Get a life people!  I won’t add any insulting comments to people that mentioned, “They love to move”.  I will admit that it is a good feeling to clean out and recycle, but clean up, that is the real question.  Moving is a life test, how clean are you, how organized are you, how much do you love your family?  I won’t ponder these questions any longer as my move is over and I will only share my opinion on a few.  How clean are you really?  Any of you that use that anti-bacterial liquid and cleaners on your hands – I am positive that is a hoax now and just another gimmick.

I called myself an anal housecleaner.  Have you ever cleaned your dishwasher?  You know that machine that cleans the food off your dishes – I mean, REALLY cleaned it.  Try it, but you might gag in the process.   And, please don’t eat before doing this task.

Have you cleaned out those kitchen drawers or the shelf you store your spices.  Everyone needs to make these an annual task for that rainy day.  If you have never done this cleaning and have lived in your home more than three years, it is a must.  I won’t mention what kind of new spice you might concoct.  This is really where that anti-bacterial stuff belongs.  And, please don’t invite me to dinner the night you experiment.

What does this have to do with Social Media?  Well, if it wasn’t for social media and the internet, I could not have done it successfully while also working my 10 hour a day job.  I take pride in my ability to hunt down every great opportunity that I could possibly find on the internet and be a successful Biggest Mover!

First, I want to thank Craigslist.  I was successful finding so many opportunities using Craigslist.  You want something hauled away – give it away free.  Someone will actually drive to your house, load it up and take your _ _ _ _ away for FREE.  It will be gone in 24 hours – remember, your junk is someone else’s treasures.  Need a tree cut down, your junk hauled or to sell your worm farm?  There is someone out on Craigslist that wants your stuff.  You might even make some money to buy more stuff.  Use caution and common sense!

On Craigslist, I was able to purchase 200 moving boxes at the reduced price compared to the stores price of $2-$5 per box.  And, the best part, I was so successful, I will recycle these boxes back on Craigslist again.

If you need to find a mover, go to Yelp and research the opinions of hundreds and find a mover.  I will say this was not one of my more successful tasks as the Biggest Mover.  I found a company, name withheld.  Yelp will get my referral – NOT.   After long review of my household size, etc. with them, I thought I was well organized and prepared with this company.  Four men showed up to move me – wow – they can whip this out in no time – WRONG.  I was only moving ½ mile away from my previous home.  Well, 8 hours later, I was telling them to go home as they were not done yet.  Do a thorough research; use a reference from friends and good luck to you on finding successful movers.  I spoke to friends afterwards and they shared stories of reliable movers.  I definitely recommend spending the dough and hiring the use of movers, just “Buyer Beware”.

Groupon got me coupons; Pet Hub got me new tags for my pets with my new address.  Social Living gave me opportunity for power washing, carpet cleaning and window washing, not to mention that massage that I am so looking forward to after I am completely done unpacking – I am 50 boxes from that massage.

My opinion:  Social Media was more helpful and brought me more opportunity during this move than any other source of information including my family.  Couldn’t have done it without Social Media!

Social Media made my move successful and gave me the opportunity to RECYCLE too!

The Biggest Mover,

Laura Wiese