The Race to the top of Social Gaming

We see it on facebook on others computer, we see it on other peoples phones now, what is this new phenomenon called Social Gaming. Social Gaming is exactly what it sounds like, its games that you get play while interacting with other people across the Internet. It started with xbox live and now has come to the computer and the smart phones. 

So what does this have to do with any of us? A lot actually, the fact that one we all get bored and play games is the first thing, second its on all the major sites that we use, must commonly found on facebook which a majority of you spend your time. Again you say so what, well the so what is that instead of just talking to your friends on facebook you can play with

 them. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on video consoles and games you can just go on facebook which is free and then play game that might cost you like five dollars a month. 

Thats the beauty of the social gaming industry theirs a billion users but with all different interests, so they need a million different games to keep with because we get bored. Which in translation makes it cheap for us, as well as easy because it can't afford to be too complicated. As you can tell already I love the idea of social gaming, and it doesn't hurt that its being used the most on iphone and ipad instead of other applications.

This is were the race comes in though for social gaming. One they are competing for customers against many other companies who are doing the same thing. They also have to beat the critics who believe that social gaming is a scam and that people are just doing it for the quick buck. More importantly then just competing for customers they must compete for space that is becoming very limited on these social networking sites. 

Hopefully thats were Apple would like to come in with its Game Center technology for the iphone and the ipad. Basically how I read is that it will still be social gaming but instead of drawing people and friends form facebook it will use your contacts to get together with your friends so you can play with them. Their definitely a few draw backs and problems that will have to be looked out for but in general I'm very excited for this new technology because it will give another format for social game developers to be on. Lastly I would like to comment on what HeyZap did which is put up a Meebo bar. The Meebo basically is like a tab bar but with all the games you want on their so that you can switch between games without going to the original page. Its make everything a lot easier and smoother and it takes away from the advertisements and other stuff that hold up a gamer from playing the game.

 

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8641414725578218077&postID=8654214804355877969&page=1&token=1271852134154_AIe9_BFNo72hZZkSwZwf-qBsvUfR-ljYU8KaYPtnhblXtL58uGMmvW0e4ZFCeJFtWtLHw1WTRxhe_S14aQq4ODip-xzCVxDr75qaYBUAyPcfetQQ1PeOihh77__CNX5GYUJjNz_R3GTKpy2Qeeu8bO1kTZsZ4OdAo27M9ZHCFCV_E7bTMkuPbJ5dRqwjLFJhFeugbdtunC8Cxf--s3nmNwdA5X6lvHEtomn1bGFiS7Lzz5HXYW4noPtzwkWt5HkWmoptcLWv574r

http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/04/apples-game-center-more-opportunities-for-social-games-developers.php

http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2010/04/09/as-apples-social-gaming-plans-emerge-mobile-social-developers-respond/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/09/businessinsider-whats-wrong-with-an-apple-social-gaming-network-not-all-your-friends-have-iphones-2010-4.DTL

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10393957-36.html

http://jussilaakkonen.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/facebook-the-biggest-boost-for-gamings-positive-image-ever/#comment-365

http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/20/heyzap-launches-a-meebo-bar-for-social-games/

Win or Lose with Social Media ROI

Well it seems you will be a great lose for not using social media to make profit for your company. Apparently the numbers speak for its self, for little to know cost your getting back huge amount of ROI. Really I must agree with everyone in that their is no reason not to do this, basically its like playing telephone but having the correct message go to millions of people instead of like ten. Since social media is claiming the mind and soul of new consumers then it just seems like a good idea to get their attention by using social media to advertise your new products. This will bring in a new era to how ideas for products come about, which is good I'm just hoping companies don't lose their identity to their customers in hopes of pleasing them.

"YouTube - Social Media ROI: Socialnomics"

"Understanding Social Media ROI (VisInsights Blog)"

Jedi vs. Sith, the Future of Social Networking

It seems that the future of social networking has been divided into two groups the Jedi, the good guys and the Sith, the bad guys. Basically their are two different ideas on how to use use social networking in the future. On the Jedi side it is more about the user and his content, he should be given privacy and be allowed to say what he wants on the internet and he can show it to he wants. But they do agree that the internet is a free place and once you put your information out on a place that is no longer private, like a blog, then you can't control who sees it. Then their the Sith and the dark side and the people that think they can use social networking to spy or control their employees and people that could potentially work for them. 

I bring this up after reading to different articles about the future of social networking and it just seems that their is a division on how it should be used. Their are people who just want to express themselves but want to limit the people who can that expression. Then their is business that wants everything to be open and easy to view and be judge. For now it seems that business or at least the advocates of a easy to view social networking world are winning the fight. But their are people who are fighting for the individuals who just want to share with friends or people they just and not just everyone on the internet. Again though these people do recognizes that the internet is open place and once you put your information on it you are sharing it with the world, they just suggest that if its in a private page or site on the internet then it shouldn't be seen by other people unless the person who written it wants it too.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/keeping-a-closer-eye-on-workers-social-networking/?scp=5&sq=social%20networking%20in%20the%20future&st=cse

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_future_of_social_networks.php

Controlling Your Content

Everyday businesses are trying to get people to buy their stuff, read their content and be a loyal customer of theirs. In the internet portion of theirs business now they can have more control. With tools like click counts and conversion funnel analysis we can now see how people use sites and what they are doing on the site in order to make their view of the site better. 

The concern for this is that we detail the site to the consumers need, which is good, but we might forget or lose what the company's views and ideas are. For example Aol is afraid that allowing outside sources write articles that it might lose real news and will only be showing news that people consider interesting. Now I agree that this is a concern but its easily avoidable by putting content that actually matters on the pages as well. Its is the company that controls what goes not the people. Yes they might influence what a company does but they never run it, and sometimes a company has moral obligation that is higher then profits.

"The Death of the Pageview - ReadWriteStart"

"AOL Moves to Build Tech 'Newsroom of the Future' - BusinessWeek"

Ultimate Resume?

The new "ultimate resume" it seems is the blog and a ready available stream of people to social network with. These two different tools make great sense and their is probably no reason for you to not use them. What I like about both articles was that although they did say these were great fro improving how you look in the business world they will never trump the face to face interview that all people need. 

Besides that though a great thing that caught my eye was the two different facebook profiles which for me makes a great deal of sense. You can have your fun and more personalized friend one that you use and you can also have your business friendly related one that's toned down. That way people aren't going checking your facebook and seeing all your personal stuff. In my opinion everyone has fun and does thing that they don't want some people to see, lets keep it that way and just let business look at a professional article.

Finally one thing that I had to disagree with is that everyone can do the blog thing as a use for job resume. To be honest I don't think thats true, yeah it would help but their are some people who are really good at their jobs but just don't have the blog feel to them. Everyone is good at certain things and yeah I get you want good personal people to work for you  but not everyone can express all of that on a blog. Sometimes its good to use the real resume and call up the people they worked with to find out of good they really are.

"Social networking has its perks- NJ.com"

"Traces of Inspiration, The Blog is the New Resume"

Becoming Collaborated

It seems we have taken a nice turn towards the future in education and business. We are finally understanding to use the computer and accept it as a tool for good instead of a tool for evil. In both articles "Students discovering online collaboration | - NJ.com" and "Collaborate Using Online Tools - PCWorld Business Center" we see a nice introduction of the use of blogs and other collaborative tools to be more in touch with the work they are doing and even more importantly, getting in touch with the outside world.

This is just wonderful in my opinion and I envy the kids the most and admire the business that use these tools to be more successful.  Man if i got to use the computer in the way that these kids do to prepare myself for now, I know I be better off. The only thing that bothered was the last comment in one of the readings that said the work on the computer is to be serious. Yes I get its work, but the computer and the internet are their to explore and learn things and if you limit it even a little bit then you are suggesting that as whole the internet is wrong. Let kids explore let your employees have a little fun they might find something more interesting to aid them in their work and make it better.

More or Less What's more important?

In the readings " The Savvy Networker" and " Its Not Just Who You Know" it seems that networking is not about quantity but about quality. The better your contacts the better your jobs will be and the better your future jobs and employment will be too because they have seem less amount of contacts to get in touch with.

So I must definitely agree with this notion. Why need billions of people trying to help you that might get you no where, but instead have 6 highly valued contacts that can get many jobs in many different areas. Also you just talk about yourself you must talk to them and about them. Ideas are a two way street, which is something I definitely agree with. Everything is now more interactive and you must put yourself out there to be interactive and be responsive to other people.