Microsoft has announced they are embracing Web 2.0 for their new Microsoft Live portal. While not surprising, the move does shine a spotlight on web properties and video games that are not Web 2.0 enabled today. I can not think of many video games that even hint they are Web 2.0 aware beyond the simple flash and Java games that are embedded in Facebook and the like. None of the major game publishers like Activision, Electronic Arts, Midway, and Nexon have made any progress down the Web 2.0 path even as the concept of Web 2.0 is getting long in the tooth (thus we see Microsoft and Yahoo are finally starting to make significant moves – Yahoo did buy Flickr so they get a few achievement points).
Last month the CEO of Turbine announced their intentions to tackle the Web 2.0 meme for all of their MMO video games which should get a few other CEO’s wondering what he is talking about. He also pointed out that integrating a Web 2.0 style portal into a game like Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) can help publishers monetize games with advertisements.
For video game developers and company management who may have been heads down working on their next title during the last 4 years or just need a refresher in all things Web 2.0 here is a great introduction to Web 2.0 by Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Books fame (and for those of you who have been raised in Windows only farms books published by O’Reilly are must haves in the Unix/Linux powered backbone of all things Internet so when Tim speaks the Internet tends to listen).
If you are thinking that you still had time to embrace Web 2.0 or to reach out to social network users, this move by Microsoft should start one thinking about how far behind your products and the video game industry as a whole has fallen.
It should also clearly mark the line between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.
My next post will highlight a few ideas on how video games should take advantage of Web 2.0 to improve customer experience and customer acquisition.
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