PMOG, the Passively Multiplayer Online Game, has come out of its 15,000 player beta (of which I was a part of) and is now open to the public.

In a nutshell, this game requires you to install a Firefox toolbar (a la stumbleupon) that enables you to plant ‘mines’ on sites, entrap other players, and otherwise generally score points.

You’ve seen passive games before, but maybe didn’t realize it. Like Scrabulous, for example. Action in the game may happen while you’re away, but you can always come back to it — it’s just that gameplay probably advanced while you were away.

This non-committal style of gameplay can be the perfect balance for the average busy (or just multitasking) individual.

So while PMOG might not be a full-blown revolution in online gaming, its fundamental strategy of being ‘just enough’ to challenge, entertain, and engage over an extended period of time may be something that you and your brand can take a lesson or two from.

So go ahead. Give it a whirl.

Share on Facebook

Is it me, or does this trailer by Rockstar Games for Grand Theft Auto IV go too far in its sarcastic portrayal of police officers?

Maybe its that I’m an NYC native. Maybe it’s that I was here on Sept. 11. Maybe I saw what true heroes are made of.

I normally have a thick skin and can laugh at just about anything. But put it in the context of trying to sell me something, and I’m not sure it can work.

If people start speaking up about this, I could see them not necessarily being represented as Jack Thompson-supporting loonies.

Rockstar, I’m usualy with you. But I don’t think I am on this one.

Share on Facebook

If this just turns out to be EA producing casual games for play on social networking sites, I’m going to be disappointed.

EA is launching a division called ‘Blueprint’. According to Gametap…

The products out of EA Blueprint will be both brand extensions of existing EA games as well as original IP. What differentiates Blueprint from any existing business model at EA is where Blueprint games are destined to end up–across various platforms, but with an emphasis on burgeoning social networks such as Facebook, for example.

This sounds like it could be vaporware, but if it isn’t, it could be very interesting.

What you’ve got here is a company with a tremendous amount of IP (like Hasbro!) that can, should, and apparently will be taking advantage of people’s tendencies to play casual games facilitated by the connectivity that social networking websites provide. We know that casual games are not just for women 35+ anymore — men are avid players as well — and EA’s force is strong with men.

If EA can capitalize on the talent over at the company (Neil Young, who was the man behind 2001’s Majestic, a game very ahead of its time), the talent of its partners (CAA), and the talent of its ad sales organization, this could be a very profitable effort for them.

So while this is in ’stealth’ mode, all we can do is speculate. But if it is what I hope it is, EA can finally evolve beyond Pogo.com into something even bigger.

Share on Facebook

T is also for World of Warcraft, who chose to use Mr. T in their latest spot. See what I mean? Mr. T = viral success.

Click here to see my one-on-one interview with Mr. T, or just watch below (again).

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Share on Facebook

I happen to think the Xbox 360 is the best video game console of our lifetime, for myriad reasons. But apparently, nothing’s perfect.

Lets have a contest.

Have any of you readers had to return an Xbox 360 for repair?

Have any of you had to do it more than once?

I’ve now sent out my second Xbox 360 for repair, which means I’ll soon be on my third console. Apparently, the problem that keeps happening has to do with overheating. Microsoft customer service has (surprisingly) been great, but the point is, this will be my second month-long stint without my console since I’ve purchased it.

It’s incredibly frustrating. What if I unlearn Guitar Hero II? What happens then?

Share on Facebook

In case you haven’t noticed, but Halo 3 is everywhere.

It’s on TV — Pontiac is running co-branded spots touting exclusive content at www.pontiac.com/halo3. It’s on the web too. And not just where you’d expect it, but in the creation of content that parodies it — acknowledging it’s fixture in the pop culture zeitgeist.

Here’s just one example — “Team Tiger Awesome” takes advantage of pop culture relevancy to promote their career. And it’s working.

(Full disclosure: SuperDeluxe is a Deep Focus client.)

Share on Facebook

Why is this important enough to be posted here? Because Guitar Hero II is the best video game I have ever played, and Guitar Hero III (when it is released) will probably be even better. Here are the tracks in the new release of the #1 game franchise in America:

* “Paint It Black,” by The Rolling Stones
* “Cherub Rock,” by Smashing Pumpkins
* “Sabotage,” by Beastie Boys
* “The Metal,” by Tenacious D
* “My Name is Jonas,” by Weezer
* “Knights of Cydonia,” by Muse
* “Rock And Roll All Nite,” as made famous by Kiss
* “School’s Out,” as made famous by Alice Cooper
* “Slow Ride,” as made famous by Foghat
* “Cult of Personality,” by Living Colour
* “Barracuda,” as made famous by Heart
* “Suck My Kiss,” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
* “La Grange,” by ZZ Top
* “Number Of The Beast,” as made famous by Iron Maiden
* “Through The Fire And Flames,” by DragonForce
* “Miss Murder,” by AFI
* “3’s and 7’s,” by Queens of the Stone Age
* “Raining Blood,” by Slayer
* “Reptillia,” by The Strokes
* “Paranoid,” as made famous by Black Sabbath
* “Cities on Flame,” as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult
* “Mississippi Queen,” as made famous by Mountain
* JUST ADDED: “One” by Metallica!


Watch this and realize why Guitar Hero II is the #1 game in America, and why the anticipation building for Guitar Hero III is among the biggest in recent memory (this is rivaling the fever around Halo and Gears of War).

Courtesy of Xbox 360 Fanboy.


UPDATE: Let’s have a little fun. I challenge anybody that reads this blog to a Hero-Off at the Deep Focus offices. I will post the video for everyone to see. Wanna step up to the plate? Bring it on.

Share on Facebook

In this promotion called Unlock Xbox, Doritos claims on this page, that this contest aims to create the first user-generated video game for the Xbox.

Doritos even goes a step further, by eventually claiming that this promotion will create the first user-generated video game, period.

The thing is,

a) Does simply submitting an idea for a game really mean it’s a user-generated game?

b) Real user-generated games have been around for years.

Amateurs have been producing games for the web (using flash) and numerous other platforms for years, especially Sony’s PSP.

Can we please limit the use of “user-generated” to instances where users are actually creating something themselves?

Otherwise, it’s just a plain ol’ contest, IMHO.

Share on Facebook

Beginning on May 7th, Xbox 360 users will be able to communicate with their best buds, family, colleagues, and ex-girlfriends (yes, some gamers have girlfriends) using Windows Live Messenger - right on their console. This is pretty big news, as this is the first time any instant messaging platform will truly extend beyond the PC into a piece of hardware that millions of people actively use each day.

IM is like mobile in that it is unbridled 2-way communication. There is no elegant way to insert an advertising message into the middle of a conversation. While PC-based IM ’skins’ have been around for years, they may find new life on a graphically-intense gaming console.

(Thanks Mashable!)

Share on Facebook

According to The Mercury News A+E Blog, Microsoft is planning to launch a new, $479 version of the Xbox 360 with HDMI, a 120 gigabyte hard drive, and IPTV compatibility.

At $479, it’s cheaper than Sony’s PS3, and has the potential make to make Apple TV (at least this version) a mere evolutionary pit stop.

Share on Facebook