Games growing on old media firms

Ever since the personal computer came equipped with games such as Minefield and Solitaire, users have easily spent thousands of hours playing these time wasters. Over time, the method to deliver games has shifted from embedded software to access via websites. Now, online gaming is booming thanks to trends like poker and retro-themed arcade-style play. Add Canada’s relatively high broadband penetration to that mix, and it’s no wonder the Canadian TV industry is taking notice of the gaming phenomenon. Old-media networks are looking at their own linear programming schedules and production partners to create entertainment-branded games to bridge old and new. It’s a marketing initiative that’s effectively reaching both adult viewers and the kids demographics. In late September, Corus Entertainment Inc. announced its intention to build a network of massive multi-player online games (MMOGs) by the end of the year. Called Constellation, it’s based on YTV’s ‘tween-targeted brand and will be created in partnership with Quebec gaming company, Frima Studio. MMOGs aren’t like typical online games. Instead of one or two people playing online, hundreds to thousands of players from around the globe can log on and play at the same time in a single game world. Although most MMOGs are intended for a male audience aged 18-34, Corus’ research shows ‘tweens are signing up for these older-skewed games, not only to play but also to socialize with each other. The problem is ‘tweens aren’t being served properly with age-appropriate content, so it’s a window of opportunity that Lucie Lalumiere, Corus Television’s VP and GM of interactive, says YTV just had to jump on. Further encouraging to Constellation’s launch is a recent Corus study that found the top online activity for ‘tweens is playing games. Focus groups and third-party reports show ‘tweens typically list online gaming sites when asked about their favourite Web destinations, and YTV.com has clocked in 17 million game plays since January 2006. It’s still too early for Lalumiere to explore how YTV’s independent production partners will participate in the MMOG initiative. By this time next year, Constellation will likely boast about eight MMOGs, and she says the online team is currently working on three to four possibilities for original, non-TV program themed properties that will provide advertising partners with exposure opportunities. "Games provide engagement," Lalumiere says. "Kids really love to relate to brands and whether it’s our brand or our client’s brand, when they play, they engage with that brand." Corus has a history of working with TV producers to get games on its kid-targeted network websites, YTV and Treehouse. Although show creators are increasingly approaching broadcasters with not only linear but non-linear plans, Lalumiere says there’s been an uptick in the industry overall that recognizes the important marketing role of online game play. Now, the company is looking beyond the Internet for additional touch points to access its ‘tween audience. Toronto’s Breakthrough Films and Television Inc., for example, will work with Corus on a game for its YTV series Captain Flamingo. Although it will debut on the website by year’s end, the team also approached Bell ExpressVu to get the game on its interactive TV platform in 2007. The Game Galaxy channel gives Bell ExpressVu subscribers access to about 40 different games, updated monthly, playable by remote control. ExpressVu wouldn’t say how many players Game Galaxy attracts, but did specify that the offering isn’t going after the typical Xbox or PSP player. These games, such as retro arcade, board games, trivia and casino-inspired play, are attracting slightly more females – a key casual gaming demo. "People playing our games are just looking for another entertainment vehicle, and that’s what we are," Jason Anderson, associate director for interactive TV at Bell, says. The deal with Corus and Breakthrough isn’t the first time Game Galaxy has worked with an entertainment property. In 2005, an educational game based on the Little Bear property from Nelvana Ltd. made its debut on KidsWise, but the Captain Flamingo game is one of the first steps the BDU is making to add a maple flavor to its entertainment offerings. At the moment, Canadian-made games are in the minority. Anderson says he deals mainly with European companies. "Just as the Web went east to Europe, interactive television is coming west to us," he says. Providers in France, Denmark, England and Israel are leading the charge, but Anderson thinks the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund will help Canadian providers catch up. Many producers come to Game Galaxy after working on a Bell-funded multiplatform initiative, and it makes the job easier to get a brand on the channel. "Because of processes like the fund, creators have had to put some time into it and work through the issues that may come up with a game at the early stage," he says. However, Game Galaxy’s door isn’t closed to gaming projects that are still in the planning phase. Pat Button, VP of marketing at Bell, says if there’s a game on Game Galaxy that also appears on one of the satellite’s linear channels, it’s a strong opportunity for Bell to leverage its own assets and, consequently, "we’re going to market the hell out of it." It’s also the channel’s goal to provide as many bilingual games as possible, so producers and broadcasters are encouraged to come out of the gate with English and French versions of their game. "We want to maximize Canadian content and the opportunity is profound," Anderson says. Over at Teletoon, Canadian content makes up 70% of its linear kid-targeted programming, and developing games from the producers who create the locally made fare hasn’t proven too difficult for Teletoon.com. "Canadian producers understand the point of the games is to market and promote the programs, but on the international side the IP owners are much more protective and suspicious," says Steve Szigeti, director of online media at Teletoon. When it comes to Teletoon’s older-skewing Detour block – which starts at 9:00 p.m. ET each evening – he says he’s admittedly having difficulty getting games on the site. Some larger producers and content owners outside of Canada, where the Detour sources much of its linear content, view the Internet as not geographically bound; as such, they’re concerned about revenue generation such as banner ads. But when it comes to homegrown content where Teletoon is a co-production partner, Szigeti discusses all of the multimedia rights from the very first deal memo, although games aren’t immediately specified since animation production cycles can take approximately three to four years and no one knows what form the interactive format will take in the future. When asked to offer a prediction for things to come in TV-game convergence, however, Szigeti says the future of online amusement will be games that are not tied to just the computer. The ability to log in on the home PC but continue to play outside the home on a mobile device will take games into a new direction, and he’s keeping that direction in mind when working with partners. As for MMOG’s, Teletoon hasn’t weighed the cost in delivering multiplayer games. "We don’t want to charge to play these games and right now, creating a system or a server for multiplay might be too much," Szigeti says. To answer the demand, however, Teletoon has worked with its co-producing partners to offer multiplayer games that drive traffic to outside of the network’s website. Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.’s Spider Riders, for example, was developed with help from the Bell Fund. There is a link to the game on the Teletoon website and in its first four months, nearly 700,000 viewers registered to play. When Teletoon last conducted its yearly research, it found the main reason why kids come to its website is to play games, followed by reading up on program information and entering contests. Szigeti says contests are still a strong way to connect with an audience, but games tap into a need to waste time and have fun on a website. "When someone enters a contest online, they’re in and out – there’s no need for them to come back. But the better games are the ones that are part of contests," he says, adding most people spend about ten to 15 minutes on a site where there’s a game. "Sometimes putting a game online is more cost effective than other forms of advertising." Although Teletoon mostly views gaming as a marketing expense, it’s not necessarily the route producers take when developing online amusements. Toronto’s Smiley Guy Studios has been developing interactive content since before the Internet bubble burst. Its series, Odd Job Jack, runs on The Comedy Network and was originally created with a CD-ROM game to play along with the linear storyline back in 1997. It later evolved into a Web sitcom with Telefilm Canada funding in 2001 when CTV picked it up for its linear schedule, but the Web element didn’t disappear. "Back in 2001, no one really saw the Internet as anything, but the show’s interactive possibilities were crucial for both us and The Comedy Network," Jonas Diamond, executive producer at Smiley Guy says. What emerged was an original online game developed for each episode created. "It does cost a lot of money," he admits, adding the production company is using its own money to fund the interactive elements. "We’re getting a significant amount of money from The Comedy Network to produce these games, but without Telefilm and Bell Fund, we wouldn’t be able to afford it," he says. But as time passes, the process to get the games on the small screen has been easier: the interactive team has collected enough images and sounds to create a library to cull from, and when the episodes are recorded, the audio is reused for the new media. Sponsors also help buffer the cost. On the Odd Job Jack website, Coors Light sponsors a challenge whereby the players can collect points for participating on the site. The Smiley Guy team has also driven traffic to the program’s site by featuring games on Web domains and banner-funded game sites. "Spreading the games out and letting people get to them from various directions is a way to increase awareness," he says. About 10,000 people have registered so far to play, and Diamond notes many of these members would have left if the site wasn’t updated every week or so because there’s so much competition on the web from both big and little companies. "It’s in such a fresh phase and it isn’t yet dominated by any media giants, but it’s proving it’s not just about linear storytelling anymore." Top 5 games on the teletoon.com siteZimmer Twins Psychic Stunt Wagon* Di-Gata ATV Cycle Race* Foster’s MidFlight Snack* Dancing Divas/Hip Hop Don’t Stop/Dynam!te Class of the Titans* * associated with a TELETOON programTop five games on Thedetour.ca/Ledetour.caStunt Track Sk8tr Dude SOB* D’s Day Off Frank Mason * associated with a Detour on TELETOON program

Games growing on old media firms

Broadcast | October 31, 2006

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us