GigaOM » Wii

Flash analysis: Xbox One

Thu, 30 May 2013 19:07:28 +0000

On Tuesday, May 21, Microsoft raised the curtain on its first new gaming console in nearly seven years: the Xbox One. In order to better understand how the Xbox One is being received by the larger tech community, we surveyed GigaOM’s own readership on the new offering. So which new feature of the Xbox One was chosen to have the biggest impact? Read this analysis to find out.

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Where the next-generation console fits in today’s video game market

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:13:31 +0000

The console era is over — or so a growing number of game-industry executives would have us believe. While social and mobile gaming have taken a sizable share of the video games market, there is room for growth for hardware, particularly in streaming technology and the emergence of open-source platforms.

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YouTube comes to the Wii, thanks to Google’s WebM video codec

Janko Roettgers — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:17:26 +0000

Updated. YouTube launched its first-ever native Wii app Thursday, making it possible for users of the game console to watch videos without relying on the game console’s Opera browser. The Wii app looks somewhat similar to YouTube’s recently-launched PS3 app, with an interesting technical twist: Most videos consumed through it are streamed in Google’s WebM open video format.

Google open sourced WebM more than two years ago, and YouTube has been working on converting all of its assets to the format for some time. However, on the web, most videos are still being streamed in H.264, and only users who opt into the site’s HTML5 trial, and also use a supported browser, get to see some of the videos in WebM.

On the Wii, things are looking decidedly different: WebM is the primary video format used in the app, and codecs like H.263 are only used as a fall-back option. This makes the app “the largest deployment of WebM video in the world today,” according to a YouTube spokesperson.

YouTube has been aggressively working on rolling out native and content-centric app experiences on as many platforms as possible, with an app for the video site now being available on over 400 million devices. Part of this has to do with the fact that it’s easier to monetize content in a native app experience. But going native also allows YouTube to add other functionality, like the AirPlay-like experience it rolled out on Google TV earlier this week, which the company intends to bring to other platforms and devices in the coming months.

Update: YouTube is explaining some of the technical background of its WebM implementation on the Wii in a post on its developer blog.

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Greying consumers are a gold mine for VCs

Barb Darrow — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:01:56 +0000

Most venture capitalists obsess on the latest shiny object for the 18-34 demographic. That’s remarkably shortsighted. The aging U.S. population is a potential gold mine for entrepreneurs who can build technologies to help this huge demographic remain active and stay in their homes as long as possible.

The cohort of Americans over age 55 is massive. “This is a huge market — $3 trillion in annual disposable income,” said Jody Holtzman, SVP of thought leadership for the AARP.

Holtzman was one of a panel of experts who spoke this week on The Rise of the Grey Market an event hosted by Redstar, a Cambridge, Mass. company that’s somewhat like an incubator. Redstar focuses on the older demographic and a few other underserved markets. So why is Redstar keen on retirees? Here’s what the panel had to say:

1. Technologies and services to foster “aging in place” will be huge

The number-one desire of most aging Americans is to stay in their homes. That age-in-place trend represents a $10 billion to $20 billion market opportunity in and of itself, Holtzman said.

Still, it’s a thorny problem. Most senior citizens aren’t wild about having surveillance cameras or other intrusive technologies tracking them at home. And yet many of them live alone (42 percent of women over the age of 65 in the U.S. live solo), and have distant children who worry about their well-being. So research must be done to make technologies that are acceptable to them and let family members know whether they’re okay or not. The AARP estimates the unpaid value of care provided to family members by children or siblings is $450 billion annually.

“If we can blend monitoring and managing with social media tools and sharing or connecting with other people, that might be more attractive,” said Joe Coughlin, director of MIT’s AgeLab, which is working on the e-Home project, which uses wireless sensors to signal potential problems, like a stove being left on for hours.

2. When tech products hit big with older Americans, it’s often by mistake

The Wii and Apple’s iPad are big hits with aging Americans, but that was a happy accident. “Wiis are huge in nursing homes, unbeknownst to Nintendo,” said panelist Joe Coughlin, director of MIT’s AgeLab.

Smart companies will design products for older people while not condescending to them. For example, car companies should focus on personalized dashboards that will help older people drive safely longer. Similarly, car doors should be designed to allow easy entry and exit, and seats should be crafted with stronger lumbar support.

“Connected health” efforts, like Vitality’s smart pill bottle cap, could be big. That product alerts pharmacies when a refill is needed and reminds the patient to take her pills. ”The challenge for these connected health initiatives is to embed things in everyday objects,” said David Rose, CEO of Vitality.

Also, those who design things need to make them look good. Many elderly people don’t wear their emergency alert devices because they’re ugly, panelists said.

3. Target market: baby boomer care givers

Baby boomers — people between 47 to 65 years of age — face a dilemma. Many are still caring for children while also assuming more care for aging parents. A huge percentage of that group is both willing and able to pay for services and products that will keep their parents safe and happy — and give the caregiver peace of mind.

“As parents age, life is more complex. When you turn 50 to 55, that’s the in-between stage, and your life gets exponentially more complex. How do you take people in my situation and make their lives simpler?” asked Frank Moss, director of new media medicine at MIT’s Media Lab.

4. Think services, not just products

SilverRide, a Bay Area company that started up to help retirees get to doctors appointments, quickly found its users wanted more. “They found demand pull from people was not just for rides but to introduce customers to other customers,” said Coughlin. ”People want to connect — they want social interaction and activities. SilverRide now promotes and hosts group events.

Home delivery and check-in services, and add-ons around them, could be very big.

5. Research, research, research

The findings may surprise you — and force you to rethink your game plan. Coughlin mentioned one research project that wired up people’s medicine cabinets to monitor their use of prescriptions. “What they found was very few people keep their meds in a medicine cabinet. It’s all about bags, baskets and boxes,” Coughlin said.

Panelists recommended talking to social scientists and anthropologists as well as senior citizens themselves to gauge behaviors and preferences. AARP makes a lot of its information public as does the MetLife Foundation, Holtzman said.

But the biggest takeaway from the event remained that this “huge bulge of people getting older is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors,” said RedStar co-founder Jeet Singh.

Some rights reserved by Marcel Oosterwijk

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Netflix on Wii just got kids-friendly

Janko Roettgers — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:13:04 +0000

Netflix officially rolled out its Just for Kids section on the Wii Tuesday morning, making the kids-friendly previously available only in South America accessible to U.S. customers as well. The roll-out marks the beginning of a wider expansion of a more kids-appropriate interface to connected devices. The company’s director of product innovation David Watson announced the changes on Netflix’s blog:

When you launch the Netflix app on Wii, you can choose the Just for Kids section, letting the kids browse without worrying if they will come across content not intended for young viewers.

We first reported in July that Netflix was working on a kids-centric UI, and the company rolled it out to all its users on the web a month later. Netflix made the new Wii UI available to its subscribers in South America earlier this month, and a spokesperson told me at the time it would bring a kids-specific section to the PS3 soon after.

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Connected world: the consumer technology revolution

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:01:08 +0000

Connectivity changes everything. That’s the credo driving just about every corner of our day-to-day lives. As human beings, we are now connected to one another through not just our social networks but also our cars, the books we read, the albums we download and even our own health and wellness habits (to name just a few areas). With that in mind, GigaOM Pro has singled out certain areas in the technology industry where we see this shift to constant connectivity taking place most drastically.

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Netflix ‘Just for Kids’ UI goes live for all

Ryan Lawler — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:04:30 +0000

Netflix knows the children are our future, and has worked hard over the past few years to court the demographic of kid viewers. That includes adding shows and movies that would appeal to youngsters and their parents. The latest move on that front is the introduction of a new user interface designed to be easy for kids to navigate.

We first spotted the new user interface, which lives under a new “Just for Kids” tab on the Netflix website, last week while it was still in test mode. Since then it’s been rolled out to all Netflix users, according to a blog post by Netflix VP of Product Innovation Todd Yellin.

The user interface seeks to appeal to kids in a number of ways: First of all, Netflix has found that children identify with show characters rather than the title of the show, so it’s highlighted some of the most popular characters in a scroll bar that runs across the top of the screen. It also highlights a number of “kid friendly” genres or themes, such as girl power, talking animals, superheroes, dinosaurs, princesses and robots.

For now, the “Just for Kids” interface is only available on the Netflix website. But Yellin says soon it will be rolling it out to other devices, such as the Nintendo Wii and Apple iPad, according to the blog post.

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Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes

Michael Wolf — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:30:12 +0000

The second quarter of 2011 was a fast-paced one for the connected consumer segment, with every sector of the digital media landscape — music, e-books, online video and gaming — experiencing significant events and changes. Media consumption, purchase and management continued its shift towards the cloud, while the battle for the living room raged on. Game console manufacturers Microsoft (Xbox 360) and Sony (PS3) added new content to their platforms, and Nintendo finally got into the HD race with the Wii U. In this report, we examine each of the areas listed above and provide a near-term outlook for where the market is headed over the next 18 to 24 months. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Amazon, Apple, Google, SoundCloud and Hulu. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.

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Where to watch E3 2011 live online

Janko Roettgers — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:31:37 +0000

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, is officially starting this Tuesday in Los Angeles – and it’s gonna be a good one: Not only are we expecting the announcement of the Wii 2, but also a new TV-related service from Microsoft, and a whole lot of damage control from Sony after its PSN debacle. And yes, there are also gonna be tons of new video games…

Can’t make it to the Los Angeles Convention Center? No worries, pretty much all major press conferences are going to be streamed live online starting Monday on a number of web sites. We compiled a list of the most important live streams below:

Monday 06/06

Microsoft Press Conference (9:30am PT); YouTube / IGN live stream,
Livestream / Gamespot live stream, Hulu Live Stream
Electronic Arts Press Conference (12:30pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream, Livestream / Gamespot live stream Hulu Live Stream
Ubisoft Press Conference (2:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream, Livestream / Gamespot live stream Hulu Live Stream
Sony Press Conference (5:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream, Livestream / Gamespot live stream Hulu Live Stream

Tuesday 06/07

Nintendo Press Conference (9:00am PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Live Stage Show Day 1 (12:00pm – 6:00pm PT); Livestream / Gamespot live stream
Mass Effect 3 (1:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Battlefield 3 (1:30pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Batman: Arkham City (2:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Resistance 3 (3:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Starhawk (3:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Twisted Metal (3:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Sony Game (4:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Journey (4:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (4:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Gears of War 3 (Campaign) (5:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Game #1 (5:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Remake (5:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Game #2 (6:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Modern Warfare 3 (6:30pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream

Wednesday 06/08

Live Stage Show Day 2 (10:00am – 6:00pm PT) Livestream / Gamespot live stream
Spider-Man: Edge of Time (11:00am PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Dead Island (11:20am PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Gears of War 3 (Horde Mode) (11:40am PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Rage ( 12:00 pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Prey 2 (12:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (12:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Saints Row III (1:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Lord of the Rings: War in the North (1:30pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Ninja Gaiden III (2:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
The Darkness II (3:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Street Fighter X Tekken (3:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (3:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Sequel #1 (4:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Sequel #2 (4:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Sequel #3 (4:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
WWE 12 (5:20pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Super Secret Sequel #4 (5:40pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
Prototype 2 (6:00pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream
BioShock Infinite (6:30pm PT); YouTube / IGN live stream

Thursday 06/09

Live Stage Show Day 3 (10:00am – 11:00am PT); Livestream / Gamespot live stream

We will update this list as soon as new links become available, so check back while E3 unfolds.

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Can An HD Wii 2 Turn Around Nintendo’s Video Fortunes?

Janko Roettgers — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:34 +0000

Nintendo could announce the next generation of its Wii gaming console soon, according to comments made by EA Games Label President Frank Gibeau. Analysts believe that the company will announce the Wii2 at this year’s E3 conference in June, which could mean that it goes on sale early next year.

Any significant Wii update will have to include HD capabilities, which could help Nintendo to win back customers who use Microsoft’s Xbox 360 or Sony’s PS3 as home entertainment devices. But will the addition of HD video streaming be too little, too late?

Gibeau told Industry Gamers today that Nintendo is “coming back with a second act,” adding: “They understand the dynamics and the fact that HD consoles is a booming part of business right now.”

Both the Xbox and the PS3 support HD, and both platforms have made use of it not just for gaming, but also for video delivery. The Xbox offers users of the Xbox Live marketplace access to Netflix and ESPN3, as well as video rentals directly from Microsoft. An addition of Hulu Plus is imminient. The PS3 also offers its own video rental store, plus rentals through Vudu and video subscriptions via Netflix and Hulu Plus. Both consoles also offer access to YouTube, and Microsoft has been striking some additional content partnerships to bring shows like The Guild onto the Xbox.

Wii users can also access Netflix, but only in SD, with bitrates maxing out at around 700kbps — barely enough for a VHS-like experience. Content producers were initially very excited to bring video to the Wii, but hardware constraints and the growing popularity of alternatives — from connected TVs to dedicated streaming devices like the Roku player — has resulted in the Wii falling out of fashion. The BBC, which optimized its iPlayer for the Wii, reported earlier this year that only about two percent of the service’s users access it through the game console.

Just adding HD video may not be enough to convince potential customers that the Wii 2 will also be a great video entertainment device, especially in an age where Netflix is available on more than 250 devices. However, Nintendo could leverage the fact that game hardware release cycles are fairly slow. Microsoft and Sony are expected to stick with their current-generation hardware for at least two or three more years. So what could Nintendo add to the Wii 2 that would make it a home entertainment game changer?

One idea would be to solve the TV input problem that many connected devices are still struggling with. Nintendo could use a setup similar to the one introduced by Logitech’s Google TV set-top box, which daisy-chains HDMI devices to display both cable TV programming and its own content simultaneously on the same screen. Take this idea one step further, and you could think of dance or singing games taking place while related talent shows are being broadcast on TV.

Another angle would be to leverage some of the technology Nintendo is introducing with its new 3DS this month, like the Spotpass ability to engage in social games and exchange information with other 3DS owners just by passing them on the street. The Wii 2 could become the media hub extension of these kinds of near-field data echanges, for example automatically recommending videos based on the people you have met during the day, or even aggregating local news videos based on the places you have visited.

Granted, all of this may sound pretty futuristic — but so did the ability to play dance games without a controller just a few years ago. It’s clear that Nintendo will have to go all out if it wants to compete with Microsoft and Sony — and whatever the company comes up with, video will be a big part of it.

What kind of video features would you like to see become part of Nintendo’s Wii 2? Let us know in the comments!

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