Looking for an Evolved Video Game Content Model

There is a huge opportunity for video games and TV to converge in ways that have not yet been fully realized.  The last couple years has seen the rise of cable stations to supplement the fast growing sales of titles for Playstation and Xbox.  The model is the standard magazine format.  Reviews and tips.  There needs to be a huge leap to new content models.  We need to go further.  Especially if advertisers expect to get into the game without turning off players.

First untapped content model would be leveraging existing cable show formats to act as background to game play.  Stations like Discovery Networks and the History Channel air programming that works to enhance interest in things such as current events and national holidays.  These shows can be shaped to augment game play to make the picture of the game's premise more vivid.  Shows on Navy Seal training and techniques to supplement the Socom player.  Mythology and folklore to supplement the fantasy game player's world.  Also, the format of these shows can be used go beyond existing content to develop new content that is based on the rich fictional world that these games spawn from.  Similar to the many "Behind the Music" episodes used to profile fictional characters.

Second untapped content model is narrative programming that works in parallel with game play.  Many games have rich story lines some pulled from comic books.  Many of the games such as Resident Evil grow into movies with sequels.  TV has a huge opportunity to play a role in nurturing the relationship with game content as well as helping along better bets for translating the game into movie box office successes.  The TV show narrative could propel new character development, clue in players to hidden game content, as well as offer more believable and less annoying product placement opportunities for advertisers.

Most important to the search for new convergent content models is that it gives more flexibility to content packaging and repackaging for future recurring revenue streams.  Think of them as the box sets of tomorrow.  How will you build the ultimate content experience for gamers seeking outlets for their love for the games? What will it take to get consumers to buy into chunks of content?   The answer is how well the content is orchestrated and elaborated.  As other aspects of game-play such as online, telephony and on-demand evolve, there needs to be work done to make sure the content model evolves too.

Comments

[popkiltr]

I'm glad more and more people are beginning to start thinking this way.
My company, Counter Productions, is involved in content management for video games and we look to find non traditional and creative methods to help develop and market intellectual property.
www.acounterproduction.com
Thanks for your great insights.
+Brian