Watch out, folks. Major studios are now entering the virtual worlds. That’s right. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sony Entertainment and Warner Bros each signed a license agreement with Gaia Online.

Soon, virtual residents can watch their favorite movies like The Matrix, Spider-Man, Batman Returns, and the classic slapstick Ace Ventura: Pet Detective in a virtual movie house called Gaia Cinemas.

What’s the logic? Well, these major studios like to benefit from the social viewing experience wherein virtual residents can customize their avatars, buy popcorns to throw to other residents, and express their views via in thought bubbles.

Revenues will be generated from advertiser-fronted skins for free movies, ad-free pay-per-view priced at $2 per movie, and virtual tie-in goods for sale.

If this gamble proves worthy, it is possible to watch current movie releases through the virtual worlds in the near future.

Moreover, Sony has invested in Gaia but declined to elaborate its association with the virtual world.

Originally posted on December 3, 2007 @ 9:21 am

The power of TikTok for growing brands is elusive to some. How can you use it to extend your reach?

Originally posted on November 28, 2022 @ 6:41 am

College Tonight, Inc., a social networking experience and marketing platform, announced the completion of its merger with Simex Technologies, Inc. As a part of the transaction, College Tonight raised $1,639,500 in equity capital in private placements to accredited investors.

“We are elated to begin writing the next chapter of not only College Tonight, but also of the social networking revolution. As part of a public company, College Tonight intends to continue its mission of promoting actual social interactivity, rather than the sedentary lifestyle to which most sites relegate their users. Through diligent execution of our innovative mobile strategy, implementation of our unique privacy protection, and matchless local focus, we are leading college students across the country and the sector as a whole, towards what social networking should have evolved into by now– taking the experience from computer interface, to face-to- face,” Zachary R. Suchin, the founder of College Tonight and the new President & CEO of Simex, said.

Over the next several months, College Tonight will introduce its members to an array of fresh and unique features including mobility. Through this dual online/offline marketing platform, sponsors will have an opportunity to expose their product to what has been called the most difficult to reach and fragmented audience in history, and to introduce their brands to students in ways that are inherently a part of the college experience.

Originally posted on November 30, 2007 @ 7:16 am

Getting traffic to your store is hard, so use these proven strategies to maximize conversions and sales.

Originally posted on November 28, 2022 @ 6:41 am

Seeking to broaden its reach and profit from Web 2.0, Cisco is making a great leap from router/switch business to social networking.

Cisco plans to release Entertainment Operating System (Eos) platform, an open software platform for creating and managing a community-based entertainment experience.

Unlike popular social network sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace, this back-end infrastructure targets media companies by enabling them to create their own communities and deliver social network-based experience at a very reasonable cost.

Sports companies NHL and NASCAR are already using this platform on their respective websites.

In an article in Internetnews.com, Dan Scheinman, a senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Media Solutions group, tried to differentiate its platform from other popular social networks.

“In Facebook, you really care about who your friends are,” he said. But, he argued, enthusiasts such as sports fans want a shared communal experience even if it’s with people they don’t know. On the NASCAR site, he said, one racing fan living in Guam commented on how great it was to connect with people sharing his interests.

Recently, Cisco has acquired several sites related to social networking and Web 2.0. The company is also very busy researching about new advertising alternatives.

Originally posted on November 29, 2007 @ 7:17 am