Five Eyes
Interactive Distribution Platforms
In an age of spectrum scarcity, media was mainly controlled by large broadcasters and publishers with strong market power, and Scotland has long lagged behind its competitors in terms of access to distribution. Now, the freeing up of the digital spectrum and the rapid growth of the global internet are fragmenting distribution, creating opportunities for the development of new channels and platforms that provide users with the opportunity to interact with each other and with media content in new and innovative ways. These channels are not constrained by national boundaries, and the global success of platforms such as Facebook in social networking and iTunes in digital content distribution are clear examples of this in practice.
In this environment, the large media incumbents no longer hold all the cards, and creative media companies have the potential to create, own and control interactive distribution platforms through which users can engage with new media content and technologies. This is a substantial opportunity for Scotland’s digital
media industry to shift away from solely producing content for others to distribute, and to move up the value chain by exploiting and leveraging distribution and rights...click here to read more and download the strategy document.
The creation of new interactive distribution channels and platforms will be a critical element of Scotland’s strategy, and will be a priority area for investment.
Marketing and PromotionIt is not enough simply to develop a channel through which users can access media content – marketing is essential in a crowded and competitive landscape, driving users to the site and developing viable revenue streams. Expert support and advice for innovative marketing strategies
will be a critical component of success in this area.
Successful development in this area requires the effective combination of creative talent and technological ability, and ensuring a consistent flow of appropriately skilled people is an important priority. Marketing is essential to grow the platforms, and as such digital media marketing
is itself a highly innovative space that needs to flourish.
Owning Distribution
Realtime Worlds is a software technology company specialising in the entertainment sector. The team has a long history of creating some of the world’s best selling video games, including the 2007 double-BAFTA winning hit Crackdown, and the global hit franchises Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Spotting the huge opportunity in online games at an early stage, Realtime Worlds’ next outing is the highly-anticipated All Points Bulletin™ (APB) which they will bring to PC in 2010. The game takes the universal theme of criminals and enforcement and brings it to a persistent, open world multiplayer setting in a modern, crime-ridden city.
For this new venture Realtime Worlds announced an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement for North America and Europe with Electronic Arts. What is important for both the company and for Scotland’s creative development is that Realtime Worlds has pursued a strategy which gives the company more control over distribution.
Have your say on the strategy here ...
38 minutes
Creative Boom
The Drum
Games Industry
Designed and built by
