The Bolin Marketing Blog

I don’t tread lightly on the subject of where I think interactive marketing is going tomorrow: (Social Gaming). It seems like the writing has been on the wall (for me at least), for some time now. Whether it’s an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or Nintendo Wii, the convergence is going to happen. When it does happen, it will be very fast. I’m not talking about in-game advertising, but about a new breed of games in the “Social Gaming” genre. Don’t go to your local Best Buy to get one off the shelf, because they’re not here yet. I’m talking about the integration of social platforms into the gaming industry. We’ve seen sites like Xfire as a first step in bridging the gap of communication, but I’m talking about a seamless gaming / social experience that goes across platforms, and utilizes information culled from all your social networks. Elements from your real life (RL) will be utilized to create your in-game (IG) or virtual reality. If your agency does not have a gaming platform, ask your boss to expense out one, two, or all of them, load up on some games, and research the hell out of them before you get left in the dust. Social Gaming will be the next time sink, and for all your marketers, you better be ready.