Serious post potential - attempt may fail
Hullo all. I'm here to ask for some help, or at least to canvass opinion. I've been tasked to research into 'The Digital Landscape' (yes, I know it's wanky) for work - a quick n' dirty examination of digital companies:

- what they're selling
- how they package their sales
- how they market their services (ooh-err)
- how products/services are packaged
- where the ROI is coming from
- how the successful digital agencies are set up
- where the digital industry is going and other possible future developments/trends.

I know it's a bit cheeky, but I also know that there's a lot of digital folk on here and that this could be the most effective way of getting some insider opinions.

So if you've got a spare few minutes and you'd like to share your thoughts, please do cos I'm a bit lost when it comes to the digital industry. Leave here or gaz me, whichever you'd prefer...

Mondo cheers.
(Land of Green Ginger It's dreamy weather, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:29, 24 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

My thoughts are currently about ribs
Spicy, sticky, slightly-burned ribs.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:35, Reply)

so are mine
you will probably find this is the case for at least half of OT
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:43, Reply)

Well I am now
Always happens when someone mentions a type of food. Just leads to cravings.
(Land of Green Ginger It's dreamy weather, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:45, Reply)

define "digital companies".
It's an incredibly vague term. Do you mean "online companies that exist to do business online only"?

I like ribs too.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:45, Reply)

Yes
Those agencies which exist as consultancies to handle digital systems, processes and marketing: so basically web-building companies and those who do similar.

And also, I suppose, digital departments of non-digital agencies. I suppose Saatchi and Saatchi have a digital team and sell and build websites.
(Land of Green Ginger It's dreamy weather, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:47, Reply)

I have never heard the term "digital systems" used in that way before, ever.
Which makes me think it's marketing bullshit.

You should write that in your report.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:51, Reply)

Generally
Anything preceded by "Marketing" is bullshit.

This comes from a bona fide Marketeer :(
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:17, Reply)

My thoughts
I'm currently thinking about a trip to the lavatory to evacuate last nights Indian Extravaganza and make a start on today's crossword.
( scoshi pretending to diet since, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:46, Reply)

Holy FUCK.
"B3ta - home of consumer opinion and market research."

Nope, I can't see it on the home page either. Try going to Harris Interactive, of TNS, or GfK, or NPD (other Market Research companies are available) for your research needs. Or, you know, use google.

EDIT: Ribs FTW.
(Slip Digby is a meat puppet, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:46, Reply)

So...
Is another up of coffee a good idea?
And how the hell am I gonna get Ribs for lunch?
( Cawl, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:48, Reply)

The Boot
in Histon does a cracking portion of BBQ ribs.

But they won't take Scottish notes. Bastards!
( djtrialprice, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:50, Reply)

This is an excellent piece of news!
Although, curse my 40-minute lunchbreak.
( Cawl, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:55, Reply)

the hot counter at my sainsburys do decent ribs
do you have one of those near by?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:57, Reply)

Er...
'bout half an hour away. As I said, 40-minute lunchbreak.
I'm so going out for ribs this weekend.
( Cawl, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:59, Reply)

I'm cooking them
I can't wait.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 11:59, Reply)

It's all about the gimmick and micropayments.
Augmented Reality is the gimmick of the month.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:14, Reply)

Looks pretty cool though
And once working will probably be the basis of another hugely successful version of the iPhone.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:19, Reply)

Although it'll be awesome when they allow them into the app store in september (waiting for 3.1 O.S)
I think it'll be huge with webcams and...
- Product Packagaging: Imagine holding the package up to your webcam to get something like a football player 'pop' out and futher advertise the product.
- Buisness Cards: Ermm.... loads of possiblitys.
- Trading Card Games
- Video Games; imagine if Pokemon implimented them?
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:24, Reply)

Yup, Not so much a gimmick then, like that fucking Carling Pint Ap
Pretty fucking big it will be I reckon ;)

Now all we need is one of those mini display shades/pirate patch so that it actually augments your VISION rather than phone camera.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:29, Reply)

The other big step is Micropayments.
The app store is the biggest advocate of it, people are happy to spend £1 to get some digits changed on a database, times that by a few hundred thousand and your product is profitable.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:35, Reply)

Likewise in the Video Games industry
People are paying the standard £40 for games (or more in the case of Guitar Hero) and then are forced to spend money on the latest downloads via microtransactions.

Games are basically being released unfinished, add a few levels which in development terms is a half hour job, charge an extra fiver and hey presto - extra cash.

Looking further into the future, throw in faster and simpler ways of spending hard cash (perhaps tied in with this controversial new I.D. system the government are proposing) and well this whole microtransaction thing will go through the roof.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 12:49, Reply)

Although I agree that games are being released unfinished...
... I think it's unfair to say 'extra' levels are part of that, they generaly are used to keep the game in the limelight and also it covers the costs of servers for multiplayer.

You're right about Guitar Hero/Rockband, it's a fantastic buisness model, those toy instriments must cost pennys to produce, they basicly haven't changed much since the first version, so R&D costs are way down. In fact, aside the pretty graphics, nothing has changed at all.

I understand that it would cost a bit of money to get the notes down in the right place for the verious songs; that they can't automate that propperly, but they must make a fortune.

Plus there is the laughable Bass/Guitar being the same thing.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 13:00, Reply)

The levels I refer to
Are part of COD: World at War on the Xbox live, where there are no servers to maintain. There have been 3 map packs at £5 a pop so far, on top of a game that in some places on released retailed at 50 smackaroonies.

I agree there is a lot of truth in these map packs keeping the game fresh and in the limelight, but I think the main purpose is to make as much money as possible, for as little effort as possible. I would argue that map making these days takes very little effort once the original code is put in place. I actually made and put into the community a number of maps for TFC and Counter-strike, albeit using the fairly easy to use WorldCraft.

Anyhoos, I really think this is the future, and with the costs of "good" games going up, I think we will see a lessening in quality and content in favour of downloadable microtransactions. A Marketing type would point out that this offers infinite possibilities for the one game, but I would say this puts possibly an infinite cost on the games!
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 13:26, Reply)

Digital Schmigital
I built an analogue computer once. It added stuff up too. Not quite sure what advantage a digital one would have.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 13:20, Reply)