Cynopsis: DIGITAL

03/10/11

Good morning, it’s Thursday, March 10, 2011, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.  If you would like to read this or any other Cynopsis edition online, click here. 

Microsoft announced it has sold more than 10 million Kinect game controllers for the Xbox 360 in just 60 days and another 10 million games designed for the device. This makes it the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history, according to the Guinness World Record folks, beating previous marks held by the iPhone and iPad. The $150 controller alloys players to use their entire bodies to navigate gameplay in action oriented games and has attracted a subculture of hacking – the Kinect has been adapted to control PCs, televisions, robots, you name it. Microsoft announced it is planning to release a Software Developer’s Kit (SKD) for the device later this Spring.
 

Following WB’s roll-out of feature films on Facebook (FFF – no, not really), Sony Pictures Entertainment is introducing a new set of features available on select digital movie purchases on iTunes. Enhanced versions of films such as “Burlesque” and “The Other Guys” will enable you to search and jump to exact moments in a film where keywords appear, clip and share segments instantly on Facebook and Twitter and pull up “interactive movie playlists” that connect users to the scenes in which the song is featured.
 
Meredith Corp. and partner Group Commerce, Inc. announced plans to launch a Groupon-type social commerce network offering limited-time deals that fit with its network of women-themed content sites. Partners such as yesterday’s Parents.com advertiser Cocodot kicked off the program with a subscription and stationary offering that ends on 3/16.
 

 
Former digital chief of Sony Pictures Michael Arrieta and a group of supporting executives and creative types have formed Big Air Studios, dedicated to creating and distributing indie movies across multiple platforms. The company, which has agreements in place with Amazon, Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, will distribute films for a flat fee ($5k-$25k) and a share of the profits, per Bloomberg.
 
Social blogging platform StumbleUpon announced a $17 million round of new funding with investments from Accel Partners, August Capital, DAG Ventures, First Round Capital and Sherpalo Ventures. The popular discovery engine has grown its user base to more than 14 million and reports content recommendations of more than 800 million/month.
 
Culver City-based Fourth Wall Studios has secured a $15 million investment from LA Lakers co-owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s California Capital Equity to create a new game studio geared toward “alternate reality” games (ARG). The genre typically utilizes interactive puzzles and messaging on multiple media including email, cell phones and websites to immerse players into the story. The 20-person Fourth Wall was co-founded in 2007 by Sean Stewart, Jim Stewartson and Elan Lee.
 

 
Online video ad firm TidalTV introduced a mobile video ad component to support multiplatform campaigns for advertisers. The offering, premiering with a campaign for Amtrak, will include advanced video targeting and optimization features.
 
Audience measurement firm Kantar Media has developed a new media planning tool that analyzes TV audiences and creates user profiles based on shopping behaviors, including brand loyalty and product category usage. The “RapidView” system leverages databases and overlays data from a sample of more than 100k U.S. TV households to analyze behavior across 270 CPG, retail, travel, lodging and services categories.
 

 
Digital Pay TV technology specialist NDS is unveiling a new B2B content marketplace and delivery system this morning that will enable content owners and distributors to build over-the-top storefronts and special interest channels and integrate them into their existing electronic program guides (EPG). Cable and satellite operators will be able to add niche channels and video offerings via set-top boxes, connected TVs, iPad and mobile devices as well as create new subscription packages and/or serve ads through the platform. Programmers such as National Geographic, Revision3 and Rolling Stone magazine have already signed on to utilize the Infinite TV Exchange platform, according to NDS.
 

 
Content marketing was found crucial to brand strategy among 99% of brand and ad agency marketers, according to a new survey from content recommendation platform Outbrain, 94% of whom said they plan to increase content output in 2011. On average, marketers dedicate up to a quarter of their budgets to online content development, with social media being the most common channel (88%), followed by SEO (74%) and email (70%).
 

 
Kirkus Media is launching an iPhone, iPad, Facebook and web-based trivia game on Friday, “The Kirkus Book Challenge Powered by Qrank,” testing users’ knowledge of the history of publishing from the Gutenberg bible to the iPad 2. The app will officially launch at the PubCamp@SXSW event in Austin.
 
Artist Stephan Van Dam, whose origami-style fold-out maps are the subject of a MOMA exhibition, has put together a couple of cool 3D mapping apps for the iPhone immersing users in the digital cartography and shopping neighborhoods of New York City. The apps allow you to zoom in and out of 3D renderings of the city, retailing for $1.99 and $2.99 respectively.
 

 
As of yesterday, the NPR Board of Directors accepted the resignation of President/CEO Vivian Schiller, effective immediately.  The Board has had a succession plan in place since 2009 which means Joyce Slocum, SVP/Legal Affairs and General Counsel will serve as Interim CEO.  NPR’s Board will form an Executive Transition Committee to develop a process and timeframe for the recruitment of Vivian’s replacement.  Board Chairman Dave Edwards said, “The Board accepted Vivian’s resignation with understanding, genuine regret and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.”
 
Comcast has hired NCTA President and CEO Kyle McSlarrow to serve as President of Comcast/NBCUniversal in Washington D.C., effective in early April. He will oversee business operations and public policy, reporting to EVP David Cohen. Kyle will also work closely with Neil Smit, President of Comcast Cable and Steve Burke, the newly named CEO of NBCU.
 
CBS Interactive GM Anthony Soohoo announced he is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. The move comes days after CBS acquired social TV site Clicker and put its founder Jim Lanzone in charge of the division. Anthony joined CBS Interactive following the acquisition of gossip start-up Dotspotter.com in 2007.
 
Kaboodle tapped former Nextag head of Biz Dev Steven Chien as its Chief Marketing Officer, reporting directly to CEO Anne Zehren. Steven will oversee audience development, commerce, advertising and marketing.
 
Los Angeles-based Rubicon Group Holding has appointed entertainment and game writing veteran John Zuur Platten to the position of Director of Digital Media.
 

 
Subscription-based digital music service MOG, which has already made some notable advances on its competitors, announced new integrations with BMW’s adorable Mini cars and connected TV platforms from LG, Samsung and Vizio. MOG offers more than 10 million songs in its catalog, (more than any other provider except Rhapsody, I believe) offering unlimited access on PCs or TVs for $5/month and adding mobile access for $10/month. MOG is an essential iOS/Android service for music lovers for two reasons: it operates brilliantly as both a downloadable library and a Pandora-style recommendation engine. It allows you download tracks to your phone’s flash drive for non-connected listening on the subway, on a flight or driving through the mountains. The customizable MOG radio also includes a “slide” bar that lays out the upcoming playlist (always a mystery on Pandora), allowing you to skip back and forth and edit recommended choices.
 
Cynopsis Digital Glossary addition:  Alternate Reality Game (ARG). A style of computer game that involves everyday touch points to involve the user and affect the outcome of the game. The genre typically utilizes interactive puzzles and messaging on multiple media including email, cell phones and websites to immerse players into the story. ARG’s have recently begun to appear as mainstream entertainment properties; the Fallen Alternate Reality game, produced in the fall of 2007 by Xenophile Media, won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for an Interactive Television Program.
 

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A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

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Later – Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
03.10.11

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JOB OPENING: SR MKT RSRCH ANALYST/FOX NEWS NETWORK/NY: Work w/ Nielsen, MRI, & various rsrch apps to anlyz data. BA Deg & 2-4 yrs cbl rsrch exp req’d. Exc PC/Excel & PP  &  Strong writ/comm skills.  Email: Resumes@foxnews.com  EOE (3/17)

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