Tech, Marketing, Pop Culture & Misc. Nerdery

I embark on my annual pilgrimage to LA tomorrow for my 4th E3.  A lot of people are saying that this year’s show may be a bit of a yawn, I disagree.  I think that this year’s show will be all about the Wii-U and SOFTWARE.  Here are a few games that I am looking forward to at E3

Hitman: Absolution
I am a bit fan of the Hitman series and it has been a while since they have released a new title in the series.  Kotaku has some great post (read it here) talking about their first impressions of the game.  After reading it and watching a demo, I got really geeked about this game and can’t wait to check it out at the show.

Assassins Creed 3
I’ll admit, I have all of the Assassin’s Creed games and haven’t played them.  Blame it on my laziness or lack of interest in the Renaissance.  The next title in this famed franchise takes place in a setting that intrigues me.  Assassin’s creed takes place during the American Revolution.  The trailer and gameplay look badass and has me ready to sprint to the Ubisoft booth when I get to the LA Convention Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Wii U
One of the biggest stories at this year’s E3 is Nintendo’s new console, the Wii U.  Nintendo is hoping to strike gold again with their new console (see a demo here).  I’m really looking forward to see what Nintendo is going to share regarding the Wii U’s launch lineup, price tag and release date.  I’m predicting a price tag of $299 with a launch date of November 8.  Rumblings on the Interwebs have been on fire lately about a possible Mario or Zelda launch title.  This would be a VERY SMART MOVE by Nintendo (cough cough DO IT cough)

Borderlands 2
Recently, I jumped back in to try and finish Borderlands before the sequel comes out this Fall.  If forgot how immense and epic this game is.  The mixture of a FPS and RPG make a game that is more addictive than crack.  I heard that there were 12 hour long lines to check out this game at PAX East a few months ago.  I’m excited to see what 2K has done do make Borderlands 2 even better than the first title.

Anything on Vita
I really like the Playstation Vita.  I’ve logged many hours on Sony’s new handheld over the past few months.  I like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and a pinball title that I downloaded shortly after getting the handheld, but am starved for some more games.  I’ve been hearing that many games are creating high quality ports for Sony’s handheld.  I ‘m excited to see what Sony has to say at their press event on Monday night.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted:
EA has confirmed that there is a new Most Wanted title coming out this Fall and that famed studio, Criterion, is working on the title.  I’m a BIG fan of the NFS franchise and am looking forward to seeing how EA breathes new life in to the Most Wanted franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
I’ve been saying for a while that Activision has become a bit of a 1 trick pony.  Yes, Call of Duty makes more money than any other entertainment franchise out there, but gamers are starting to get tired of the same formula.  I will give credit to Activision where credit is due.  Activision did a good thing by sending Black Ops 2 in to the future.  I’m anxious to see what enhancements have been made to the title and what is up Activision’s sleeve to keep sales of the COD franchise red hot.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD
Yes, this is a remake of the game that sucked many many hours of my life away in high school.  Yes, I am mostly excited for this game because I loved the original.  DON’T JUDGE ME!

That’s pretty much it 

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Great chart provided by the Nielsen blog AGAIN.  Things that stand out to me:
- Time spent in app > Time spent on mobile web
- Time spent in Top 50 apps decreased by 16%
- # of Android and iOS users more than DOUBLED

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A few takeaways:
- More than 80% of respondents reported watching video on a computer (84%) or on television (83%)
- 74% of Asia Pacific and 72% of Middle Eastern / African respondents watch video on mobile phones once a month (almost 40% watch content on their device daily)

Chalk this one up to Nielsen’s blog.  This site is proving to be a valuable resource to anyone looking for some great digital articles.  Check out the blog here http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/

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fad - noun - a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group

The Detroit News published an article this morning releasing results of a CNBC - Associated Press poll that asked Americans if they think Facebook is a fad.  This poll revealed that half of those Americans polled believe that Facebook is a fad. 

Facebook is about to file the most anticipated IPO in history and investors are a bit squeamish with the valuation that has been assigned to Facebook in a space that has seen sites fall from grace in a heartbeat.  Yes, other social networks have fallen from grace.  Remember Friendster?  In order to stay relevant to your users, a site must constantly evolve.  Sites that have failed in the past have failed to evolve and have seen users flock to other sites.  Evolution is something that Facebook has done very well.  Yes, users constantly complain, even vow to leave, when Facebook makes the smallest of changes.  These changes may not be enthusiastically embraced by the community, but they are necessary for Facebook to stay relevant to a user who has ever changing wants and needs.


Remember the Original Facebook Layout?

To call Facebook a fad, could also be considered calling social media a fad.  Think about how you are consuming content today.  What are you doing more: finding content via various searches or clicking on an article that was posted by a friend on Facebook?  My guess is that many of you choosing the later.  Facebook is the largest platform touting over 800 million users globally which makes it THE most crucial site in the social media universe. 

Yes, there are other social networks out there who have painted a target on Facebook’s back.  Sites like Twitter and Google+ have made noise in the space, but have failed to reach the sheer numbers that Facebook can tout.  These sites will also look to evolve to stay relevant to the user.

Let’s face it, social media is not going away.  Will Facebook always be THE hub for social interaction?  I really don’t know.  What do you think?  Is Facebook a fad?