Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts

Monday, February 4, 2013

A Few Things I Like But Don't Have Time To Write UP - Microsoft, Call Of Duty, SPIES Travels

Microsoft Internet Explorer - Child Of The 90s
Check out the video for the new Internet Explorer that resonates nicely with the target audience (eg. people my age) by tapping into nostalgia for the 90s.  It's a nice way to encourage people to give Explorer another try.  As they say in the ad 'You grew up. So did we. Reconnect with the new Internet Explorer.'



Call Of Duty 2: The Replacer
I love this spot because it's so different from most videogame launch ads.  The Replacer, created by 72andsunny, is a nice take on the idea that there are always things getting in the way of playing a new videogame.  Sort of reminiscent (on a smaller scale) of the NAB Stand-Ins campaign from a new months back.


SPIES Travels
Here's a fun little experiment from Danish travel company SPIES travels and their agency, Robert/Boisen & like-minded.  To encourage travelers to book a vacation in warm climes, they went to some extremes to show much energy you get from a sun filled holiday.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Ingress

William Gibson wrote in one of his books that 'cyberspace is everting.'  Simply put the digital world is spilling out into real-world experiences.  We've really just scratched the surface of the marriage/interplay of the digital and physical worlds that's enabled by ubiquitous connectivity and mobile devices.  The augmented reality and mobile location based technology that's cutting edge today will most certainly seem quaint in just a few years.  The recently launched global alternate reality game, Ingress, gives a sneak peek of what (I believe) will become more pervasive and incredibly common in the not too distant future.

So what is Ingress?  It is a new location-based augmented reality game from Google-owned Niantic Labs.  The premise is that the world around you is not what it seems.  The game puts you and your smartphone (Android only at the moment) in the middle of a global battle between two sides that plays out in real life all around you, regardless of where you live.

As AllThingsD explains: 'Users can generate virtual energy needed to play the game by picking up units of “XM,” which are collected by traveling walking paths, like a real-world version of Pac-Man. Then they spend the energy going on missions around the world to “portals,” which are virtually associated with public art, libraries and other widely accessible places.

“The concept is something like World of Warcraft, where everyone in the world is playing the same game,” Hanke said. Players are on one of two teams: “The Enlightened,” who embrace the power, or “The Resistance,” who fight the power. Anyone can play from anywhere in the world, though in more densely played areas there will be more local competition for resources.
Outdoor physical activity is a big component of this, though driving between locations isn’t banned. “You’re like a rat in a maze on the phone,” Hanke said. Then, back at your computer, you can review the larger area and gameplay.'

It's really a magical experience and even more so when you consider that there's no discreet start and stop to the game.  It could go on for several years as a sort of constant background activity that we engage with when out in the physical world or as part of our daily routine such as commuting.  If you look at the popularity of MMORPG and extrapolate that out into the real world, you can see the massive potential behind such games (and I wonder if there will be a the equivalent click-sweat shops and selling of characters for real-world MMORPGs like currently exists for games such as World Of Warcraft).  Anyhow, the video below gives you an additional sense of what it's all about.  If you're interested you can head over to the Ingress site to get an invite to join in the game


hat tip:  Matthieu De Fayet for reminding me to write this up

Friday, November 30, 2012

Old Spice - Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks To Save The World

It's the latest campaign from Old Spice.  Why even bother explaining it when we both know that you're going to watch it and play around with it regardless of what I say.

Seriously though, it's amazing what successful advertising can do and the halo effect it can for future campaigns.  The folks at W+K continue to do great work for Old Spice, but they could literally do anything at this point and the Internets would be abuzz about it.  So head over to Old Spice Saves The World (shame it's not happening on YouTube this year).

Quick overview:  Former NBA Great Dikembe Mutumbo has 4 1/2 Weeks To Save The World.  Each week will feature a different game or challenge for Old Spice fans to help Mutumbo keep the Mayan prophecy of the world ending on December 21, 2012.  The entire event is also showing a livestream with a countdown of a machine carving a Mayan gliff.

Let the randomness and hilarity begin!