Hal Josephson's blog

Thanksgiving and Xmas Blowing in the Wind

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:07:42 -0800

As the Holidays loom on the '08 horizon, it's looking pessimistic to many folks in the industrialized world. Economic news seems to get worse day by day and for those who are not working or generating an income while promise is high and hiope around the corner, living day by day is truly tough.

As our new president elect inspired our nation as well as other nations with his acceptance words...

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. "

Here's hoping that 2009 will be a banner year to remember sooner than later.

Ides of September Already---only 100 Days 'til Xmas 2008

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:01:38 -0700

Hard to believe we are getting closer to the end of another year with only one more year left in the "naughties". As I write this I look out over the hills of the central North Island of New Zealand, a country I'd wanted to visit when I was 11 years old. It took me 33 years to finally get here and I must say, it was indeed worth waiting for. I'm doing a quite a bit more writing from here...even on such esoteric culinary and vinophile topics as matching food and wine. SEE: http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20080618As mentioned in a previous posting, I've been organizing a conference in HK to take place in mid-November about fast-tracking innovative companies into the marketplace.SEE: http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/ Wishing everyone who drops by to peruse all the best as we head to the Holidays. HAve a GREAT rest of Q3 and productive and profitable Q4.

Summer 2008 and Upcoming Autumn

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:10:46 -0700

I'm back in the US to spend the Summer working via computer, e-mail and skype + POTS (telephone) on a number of projects.

Besides a few consultation gigs generated by the new Opening Doors initiative, (SEE www.odbdn.com) I'm working on the scheduling and logistix for my September, October and November trips to China. The mid-September trip will focus on video games on the Mianland. October will focus on ICT and New Media and November will be a special trip for Clean/Green/Eco - Tech companies.

On November 18, in Hong Kong, I will host the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum. Thsi year's theme is Monetize Unexpected and Unusual Business Models That Can Change to the World.

I look forward to an active and exciting Q3 and Q4 2008.

Time to Update: On the Road in 2008...It's gonna be GREAT!

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:28:34 -0800

The New Year has started off quietly but many plans are in motion. I will be traveling to Vancouver, Seattle, SF and LA in the first working weeks of January. Then landing back in NZ for the last ten days to celebrate my partner's birthday and the last days of Summer under the Southern Stars. Then off to SYD to plan out the year of China Access trips and other China activities. February and March will be SF months and then HK again for the first week in April to produce and MC the 8th Annual Digital Entertainment Leadership (DELF) conference. Here's wishing everyone who drops by for a read a healthy, happy and prosperous '08.

The Next Six Months til 2008

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:27:52 -0700

I'm spending the US Summer in the San Francisco Bay Area, reconnecting with business colleagues and mates from Marin, the City and Silicon Valley, and spending some fun "quality time" time with my son. I'm organizing two more trips to China, one for game developers Aug 27- Sept. 6 and another for VC's and investors Dec. 1-8. If you'd like to join us or for more information, please contact me. I continue to work directly with the executive team of SME's from around the PacRim who are developing their IP based businesses. Recently, I ran a two day strategic planning offsite in Dunedin and spoke at a Creative Industry Forum series in Adelaide. By the end of 2007, I expect to have completed the first draft of my pet project, a concise but idea filled international business development book, tentatively titled, "BizDev for Doers: Smart Business Development for Savvy Marketers".

The (He)ART of F/X: The Future of Digital Storytelling

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:02:44 -0700

Having just spent 2 weeks in China with some of the most amazing people in the computer animation industry was a total thrill. The conference program which I'd organized for HK Cyberport was not only well attended, (350) but there was substantive and thought provoking content in terms of the ideas presented and issues discussed. Kudos to the four keynotes, Scott Ross, Warren Franklin, Paul Wang and Ed Jones who clearly artculated the challenges and opportunities that face the existing and emerging players in this highly publicly visible media sector. Also, a huge thank you to the panelists who honestly discussed a variety of topics about regional and global content development and business building. Following the HK portion of the program, a group of us went to Mainland China to explore Shanghai's diverse urban culture and visit the key historic sites in Beijing,the GREAT WALL and the Forbidden City. http://www.cyberport.hk/campaign/delf/programme.html

2007 is off to a GREAT start

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:37:29 -0800

I've spent the holidays in New Zealand...a great place to be in Summer.

I'm working on the program for a Digital Leadership Conference to be held in HK March 21.

Also, Creative Hawke’s Bay announces that the first lecture in their monthly lecture series will be on Friday the 9th February at the Century Theatre in Napier at 7 pm.

I will deliver ‘Make Marketing Work For You’, a presentation geared to anyone who is interested in strategic marketing and unique approaches to business development. In today's complex and competitive business environment, strategic marketing techniques are a necessity in order to survive and thrive.

Whether you are self- employed or a small business, half the challenge is identifying and refining what works best. This presentation will give you a different perspective about how creative marketing can be fostered and forged to grow your business. Come and learn how to best identify, develop and continually cultivate effective marketing strategies and programs that will work for you, your customers and your company.

From this evening special program, you’ll learn how to:

• Set Marketing Objectives That Will Develop Measurable Results
• Identify and Use Marketing Techniques That Make “THE” Difference
• Be Strategic and Get Better Mileage by Leveraging Your Budget
• Maximize your Tactical Effort To Achieve Greater Productivity

The monthly lecture series programme brings together artists, designers, and business people in Hawke’s Bay to stimulate the creative juices, exchange ideas and generate dialogue and discussion.

Creative Hawke’s Bay invites anyone with an interest in creative thinking and good business sense to come and enjoy these presentations. There is a door charge of $5 per head to help cover costs.

Where: Century Theatre, Napier, NZ
When: 9th February 2007 – 7 pm

Upcoming things in November and December that I'm excited about

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:44:40 -0700

Gidday from San Francisco this week. It's been a flat out schedule during the past two months with travel to Adelaide , Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Wellington and a bit of time on the South Island in Nelson with friends and wine-tasting in Marlborough.Coming up ---www.animfxnz.com in Wellington on Nov. 4-5.Che's birthday in Adelaide on November 18. See www.kukanstudio.com Doing a workshop in Hong Kong on November 22 and 23 at HK Cyberport on Biz/Dev and Strategic Marketing. Cinegrid in San Diego mid- December. See www.cinegrid.orgWED 12/13 --- CineGrid Workshop Welcome Reception (evening)THU 12/14 --- CineGrid Workshop (all day)FRI 12/15 --- CineGrid Workshop (morning) And then finally, Summer Holidays DownUnde in second home NZ and OZ.Wishing everyone a FUNtastic Holiday Season as business begins to slow down and the Holiday spirit fills our time with gatherings and our hearts with good cheer. If I do not see you before '07, all the best and hope to catch up soon. Cheers, Hal

September in China for Digital Creatives

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:45:01 -0700

China Access: Digital and Creative Industries Program: September 17-22, 2006

The upcoming September 17-22 program in 3 cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou is specific to companies developing new media tools or digital content for Internet, mobile and on-line gaming plus the creative services industries, including graphic, interactive design and animation as well as a focus on film and television co-production opportunities.

Participants will learn how to do business successfully in China and meet with potential Chinese partners to explore business relationships and future alliances.

China Access 2008 is a strategic international partnering initiative that organizes business trips to China. For complete program information and a registration form see www.chinaaccess2008.com

Program fee is $1000US exclusive of RT air and hotel. Some meals and receptions are included.

Reflections on E3 held in LA May 9-12

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:04:28 -0700

It’s been 11 years since the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) launched in the mid-nineties. Those were the days when SEGA was a platform. It was the year of the much-hyped launch of defunct 3DO’s VHS-like format and 6 years before Microsoft’s Xbox. Now, in the second half of the first decade of the 21st Century, E3 is the definitive annual promotional event for the $45B US global games industry. "E3 is the one and only venue where all of the world’s leading interactive entertainment companies convene to launch the industry’s next evolution," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers and owns E3. This year, amidst the usual 70,000+ square meters of noise and hoopla, each of the 3 major platforms garnered huge crowds. The Sony booth was abuzz with the announcement of the forthcoming PS3, November 17 planned international release @ a $499 US price point. Backward compatible to over 5000 PS1+2 games, the PS3 launch title list was not available but the demos on 36” HDTV screens were graphically the most realistic looking 3D games to date. Titles previewed included: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Sonic, Warhawk, Final Fantasy XIII, Genji, King Kong and Madden NFL 2007 among others. Nintendo’s Wii (formerly known as Revolution) entry into the market provides a unique opportunity to “get physical” with their innovative new controller. It wasn’t easy to get your hands on it though as the lines to get into the private demo area in their E3 booth meant at least a two hour wait. Games that are designed to especially play the new Nintendo way expected at launch include:Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, Red Steel, the long awaited Zelda, Twilight Princess and of course, Super Mario Revolution. Xbox 360 garnered the Best Game of Show with 2K Games, Bio Science, however, that won’t be out until 2007. Titles that were looking good and set to release later this year included: Just Cause, Crackdown, Phantasy Star Universe, Gears of War, Ninety Nine Nights and Viva Piñata. It will a fascinating to see how Xbox 360 holds onto its one year market lead in global distribution with Sony’s PS3 global marketing launch readying for Xmas 2006.

I spoke to three industry regulars who attended this year’s show and this was their take on E3 2006. Noah Falstein is a San Francisco freelance game designer, producer and founder of The Inspiracy. See www.theinspiracy.com I saw beautiful games, incrementally better than previous ones. But lots of similar stuff, there must have been half a dozen WW2 titles, endless science fictional FPS games, medieval RPG, etcetera. Intriguingly, the focus seemed to be on original IP. Most of the buzz was not around the latest version of long-established franchises but about new things - Spore, Assassin's Creed, Warhawk - many attempts to inject SOME new creativity. But also there was a focus on realism with the graphics and processing power of the new consoles aimed at making things look even more real than ever before. I also think that Spore, Will Wright's next game, which was announced last year, looks phenomenal. It has amazing scope and is incredibly inviting.

Celia Pierce is an LA based game designer and researcher as well as Assistant Professor of Communication and Culture @ Georgia Tech. Celia is co-founder of the upcoming Supercade festival celebrating independent and alternative games scheduled to launch in 2007. As usual, there were a lot of sequels, and a lot of license-based games, and a lot of shooting. The one exception was, as always, Nintendo, who always seem to have at least 2 or 3 new and original things going on in their booth. The biggest buzz at E3 this year was unquestionably the Wii. People are very excited about the prospects of a new interface, and especially what it might mean in terms of innovation in game play. Nintendo also seems to have thrown its chips on expanding the market to "non-gamers"; a bold step that I have been wishing someone would take for years. They seem to have scored a slam-dunk with Nintendogs last year and BrainAge this year. The longest line to see a demo other than @ Wii, was at EA's booth, and that was for the Spore demo. A lot of game industry people have already seen this in a number of forms, but I think Spore may turn out to be the most hotly anticipated game in a long time. Again, it's not like anything else. It's the first "new" thing to come out of EA since...well...The Sims. Finally NCSoft is doing some very cool things that are worth mentioning in terms of MMOG's. They are developing some new games with shorter session times. These are not "casual games" per se, but they fill the gap between the "hard core 4-8 hours a nighter" and the casual "20 minutes a session" type of play. They are also looking into some new revenue models. One is downloadable games with no subscription fee but rather players purchase special items or buy access to certain levels. This model has been able to sustain some smaller online social worlds, like There and Second Life. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable for people to "buy" virtual items. But players started selling them on the EBay "black market", a trend which game companies first tried to stop, and now apparently are trying to leverage.

Finally, Ken Bautista is the CEO & Executive Producer from Calgary, Alberta Canada’s based, Hotrocket Studios Inc. SEE: www.hotrocket.ca I thought that most of the buzz at this year's E3 was Nintendo's Wii, and their really innovative approach to gaming in this new generation of consoles. From what I saw from XBOX 360 and even PS3... the graphics, and presentation keep getting better, but it doesn't necessarily mean the games are getting better. Most of the games shown at E3 were the same old genres of games - driving, sports, shooters, etc. There are a few really innovative games coming out like Spore, and some cool things being done with technology, I like the stuff I saw from Lucasfilm with the "euphoria" and "Digital Molecular Matter" technologies in the new Indiana Jones game. The truly lifelike action and environments are really cool. I did find some real gems... like Duck Hunt on the Wii. Now that's classic and hours of fun. I think that there’s a trend is the rise of more "casual" games, multiplatform gaming, and connected gaming experiences through communities. Gamers are a much different and diverse breed these days and it'll be interesting to see what the next generation of games will look like. Mobile and portable gaming is getting bigger and better and I would imagine that we'll see more connected gaming experiences being delivered through multiple platforms rather than just more ports of games developed separately for each platform. E3 is the most important gathering of interactive entertainment professionals on the planet. This year E3 had over 60, 000 industry attendees. If you plan to be in LA next year, mark May 16-18 on your 2007 calendar. For more E3 post event info, check out these web sites:

www.theesa.com

www.e3insider.com

www.e3.1up.com

www.e3expo.com

http://wii.nintendo.com/home.html

http://www.ps3portal.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/xbox/

VIDFEST Kicks Off with the International Partnering Forum

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:09:07 -0700

Visualize Your Success Story What's your current business and development partnering strategy? What is it and who does it? Is a business development activity happening in your company? What is your opportunity to jointly and mutually leverage value within your business? These are just a few of the questions that Hal Josephson, President of MediaSense Biv/Dev For Doers, and today's guest speaker at the International Partnering Forum at VIDFEST, asks of his audience this morning, initiating the business "speed-dating" event that is getting set to commence here on Granville Island in Vancouver. This year marks 3rd annual IPF, where companies from all over the world come to participate and, ultimately, where deals are made! Hal has flown half way around the world to be here today, having had breakfast in New Zealand and dinner in San Francisco yesterday, we're happy he was able to join us for coffee this morning and provide his insight into the critical questions a company should be asking when developing business strategies. Hal is also organizing upcoming PacRim BizDev events and the China Access ICT/Creative Industries Partnering Program this September in Beijing and Shanghai, which will focus on alliances with Chinese companies and provide strategic planning and marketing for international businesses. Thank you to Dennis, Lynda and Kirstin from New Media BC and IPF sponsors Canadian Heritage, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Vancouver Economic Development. Let the dating begin and the deals get done! If you're reading this and you weren't a part of it, get yourself registered for next year - not to be missed!! Written by Megan Cole Check out the Raincity Studios blog, The Standard, and read more about Hal throughout our posts. Check out Hal's slides here.