OGAMES: Big Brother gets more interactive

DSTV Online has launched Africa’s biggest gaming portal, Ogames.com. Offering users over 600 games for PC and over 300 mobile games, Ogames.com has focused on social media integration and dynamic multiplayer offerings for its online community of gamers.

Key to the Ogames.com offering is multiplatform interaction, giving users the opportunity to play games with strong links to the DStv Channel offering. Ogames.com’s new Big Brother games – developed for the current season of M-Net’s Big Brother Amplified – allow users to play for points which translate into rewards for the housemates on the live TV show.

By playing Big Brother Bubble Popper, Big Brother Wordsearch or taking the Big Brother Quiz, Ogames.com users have the chance to influence aspects of the television show. They can use the points they score by playing to supply the housemates with extra snacks, drinks and surprise gifts & goodies at their Saturday night parties. Users also stand the chance to win rewards of their own. By scoring more than 500 points, they are entered into a grand prize draw for Samsung prizes at the Big Brother Amplified finale on 31 July.

Brendan McNulty, GM: Games, says that this level of gaming / television interactivity is a first for the continent and puts Ogames.com at the forefront of interactive gaming worldwide.

“Viewers and gamers in Africa have never had the chance to influence the content of a television broadcast on this level before – outside of voting for contestants. The Big Brother games allow users to compete and show off their skills and have the result broadcast across the continent for all to see on Africa’s biggest reality show,” says McNulty. “This development on Ogames.com is just the first in a series of steps which will take interactivity in the broadcast space to new heights in our market.”

Darkness Falls – The Jozi Outbreak is another new addition to Ogames. The MXit-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) sees users entering a shadowy world to participate in a battle that's been raging for generations in Johannesburg. Thousands of players have chosen their side, created their own characters and are honing their skills as they battle through the dark underworld of Darkness Falls.

“MMO’s like Darkness Falls are generating huge traffic volumes as thousands of players log in to challenge each other. This kind of game has changed the way users engage with multiplayer offerings and Ogames.com is excited to be leading the charge,” says McNulty.

Ogames.com is the biggest gaming portal in Africa, built specifically for the African market. The portal delivers quality, fun and challenging mobile and PC games to users. With a strong multiplayer offering, Ogames.com offers users the chance to compete against each other for high scores and collect badges to showcase their achievements. Ogames.com launches tailor-made Kenyan and Nigerian sites in July.

- Issued on behalf of Ogames.com

** More Gaming News **

KICKSTARTER: Obtaining project funding via social media

DO you ever get tired of being served coffee that is too piping hot to drink? Or leaving a cup of Joe to cool only to find that it’s gone Luke warm by the time you drink it? Well, soon unsatisfactory coffee drinking will be a thing of the past with the release of Coffee Joulies on the American market this week.

The idea of creating stainless steel heat-retaining coffee beans that keep your hot beverage at the right temperature for longer was brewed up by two young design engineers both named Dave. Like many budding entrepreneurs, Dave and Dave needed a way to fund the manufacturing of their product and turned to the Internet and social­ media to achieve this.

Kickstarter.com is one of many websites that allows people to post ideas freely and appeal to the online public to pledge small amounts of money towards their project. Creatives are given a set amount of time to raise the funds they need and offer certain rewards to people, depending on the amounts they pledge.

The Coffee Joulies project, for example, was looking for $9 500 (roughly R66 500) to fund the manufacturing and distribution of their product. Amounts that could be pledged ranged from $40 to $500 or more. Returns on investment included being sent free samples of the product once made, getting a unique Joulies mug with “I backed Joulies on Kickstarter” printed on it, or even being sent a Coffee Shop Pack for entrepreneurs who want to sell Joulies themselves.

The Coffee Joulies example is one of many that illustrates the power of the web and social media to kick-start business ideas into existence. The two-man team managed to raise $306 944 (about R2 148 000) and has over 4 800 backers. Project creators also keep 100% ownership and control over their work.

Kickstarter homepage

Kickstarter.com is one of many websites that allows people to post business ideas freely online and appeal to the online public to pledge small amounts of money towards their project (image: www.kickstarter.com).

The only criterion for Kickstarters is that projects must reach their funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. This is done to protect all parties involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.

Other successful projects include documentary film ideas, iPhone add-ons or accessories, a magnetic vertical garden kit and video game development. Many of these have far exceeded the amounts needed and are over 100% funded. Pledging continues until their initial time frames end. I was also pleased to see a few South African projects on Kickstarter that have surpassed their funding goals.

The creative market for ideas

Websites such as Kickstarter bring to mind other online platforms that also operate within the creative market for ideas. Idea Bounty is one example whereby large corporates post a brief for something they want — such as ideas­ for an advert. Users or creatives are then invited to submit their ideas for that brief. A sizeable bounty is offered­ by the client beforehand which is bestowed upon the person who submits the best idea.

While platforms such Idea Bounty sound all good and dandy, it just goes to show the value of a good, creative idea. This particular website has been known to offer bounties as high as $10 000 (about R70 000), but it’s a no- brainer that the returns on implementing such ideas most likely far exceed what was paid for them.

This comparison makes one feel far more approving of entrepreneurial, self-starting marketing platforms such as Kickstarter. The look and feel and user-friendliness of the website also make it that much more inviting. But you don’t have to take my word for it. If you have a great idea or want to launch a book or make a film and need funding, Kickstarter would be a very good place to start.

** More Cool Websites & Resources **

FACEBOOK FIX: Where did all the good people go?

THERE’S a little public event going around Facebook which explains why things may have been so quiet on the social network lately. We are reassured that our friends aren’t ignoring us or that we haven’t been blocked from seeing certain people’s updates. Rather it’s an annoying little setting that became the default after you switched to the all-new and blinged-out Facebook profile.

What you are (probably) seeing when you log onto Facebook is a select few individuals who always seem to have something to say and may have developed mild Facebook addictions. People who actually say "lol" in verbal conversation. Either that or no one seems to give a fig about Facebook anymore. In truth, what’s happening is that you are only seeing the updates of friends, people and pages that you interact with most. Annoying, but this can be fixed.

The Fix

On the homepage click the “Most Recent” tab on the right of the newsfeed. Click the drop-down arrow beside it and select “Edit Options”. Click on “show posts from” and change this setting to “All of your friends and pages”. You’ll now be able to view all of your friends and fans once again!

Why do popular websites feel the need to constantly “update” features that worked perfectly fine before? Is it an attempt to stay new and fresh or at least give that impression? I can understand how websites like Facebook regularly rework their design to accommodate more advertising, but when things like profile info and photo viewers are constantly changed, what’s the point eh? It seems to piss off more people rather than appease them.

I’m just saying.

• Hey! Have you subscribed to my RSS feed yet? It's the easiest way to get all updates emailed directly to you. You can also follow me on Twitter or connect with me via linked in using the buttons on the right-hand side of this page.

** More Web Developments & Absurdities **

SOCIAL MEDIA: And how it is transforming business in South Africa

Fuseware is a Cape Town based social media research company that is currently creating a free social media research survey about the business case for social media in South Africa. They are asking the top influencers in the media and marketing industry for their views regarding this and aggregating all the information into a 100% free Fuseware report.

I was asked to participate in the Fuseware survey but wanted to open it to everyone to participate and offer further suggestions. The six most poignant questions follow with my own responses, but please feel free to contribute and get your chance to be heard! I will pass all comments on to the researcher that contacted me.

1. Fuseware: How is social media changing the business landscape, specifically for South Africa?

In the media industry, social media is the next phase of journalism. Media industries that do not adopt and embrace social media and networking into their production cycles will surely wither and die in the future. Situations where news rooms fight social media to get "the scoop" will never win by virtual of the speed and spread that is offered by services such as Twitter, Blogs and even Facebook. Media organisations need to learn how to use social media themselves in unique ways if they wish to remain a viable source of information.

2. Fuseware: What is the most difficult challenge of social media use in business in South Africa?

I would argue that the biggest challenge for businesses in SA is finding unique ways to make effective use of social media without harassing and bomb-barding social networkers with corporate spam. Simply posting links to any business website on every social media platform, for example, is not effective use of social media and will only irritate people and possibly taint the name of that business or brand.

3. Fuseware: What is your ultimate example of business success in social media?

News websites that have developed social media extensions for their product are proving to be very successful in SA. News24, The Dispatch and The Times are three examples of businesses that have made effective use of social media by offering something of interest and value that was not possible with their print products. Interactivity, commenting platforms, reader feedback, creating web-presence and the use of multimedia are all effective forms of optimising such a business.

4. Fuseware: Which companies in South Africa do you think are doing social media the right way?

The three news corps. mentioned: News24, The Times and The Dispatch. Also gaming and IT websites are showing huge growth in SA - e.g. Take2, and of course the blogging community and more specifically blog aggregators - i.e. Afrigator and MyScoop are making great and effective use of social media in SA. These will continue to grow for a good while yet.

5. Fuseware: How can businesses in SA measure the effectiveness of their social media campaigns?

It depends on the campaign really. Following trends would be a good start, but most social media campaigns can be measured by number of followers / subscribers and the growth of these. Keeping track of website statistics and engaging with their audience(s) is also of utmost importance.

6. Fuseware: How do you envision the usage of social media in SA in 2-3 years?

The internet today is defined as "web 2.0" - i.e. the "social web". The proliferation of social media websites and services will continue to grow in the next few years and more businesses are likely to adopt social networking into their business models. It's almost becoming a case of "do-or-die" meaning that if businesses do not create a web-presence within the next 2-3 years while their competitors do, they will risk losing a huge number of customers / clients / readers.

• If you would like any of your own input sent to the Fuseware team before they put together their social media report, please add it as a comment below.

** More Web Developments & Absurdities **

2010 BLOG AWARDS: Categories, Casters and Criteria

WITH many bloggers now focusing on their blogs full-time, blogs have moved from a fun sideline project to a lucrative form of business. Keeping in line with this trend, the SA Blog Awards have also matured and bloggers will see statistics from their site forming part of the evaluation criteria for the judges in each of the categories in 2010.

Now in its 5th year, the awards will take place on 25 September and will feature more judges per category than in the past. Judges will also be experts in their respective fields with a keen interest in social networking.

Given the past success of the awards and the increased interest in the 2010 event, The SA Blog Awards warranted the addition of a new member. JP Naude, Cape Town businessman and radio personality, takes on the role of CEO for the Awards. One of Naude’s focus areas will be raising the profile of the awards ensuring a heightened sense of credibility in 2010.

Naude has already implemented a partnership with Afrigator, one of South Africa’s foremost blog statistic measuring companies, whereby it will act as an independent auditor providing accurate and up-to-date information on the nominated blogs to the judges.

Naude will be working alongside the original SA Blog Awards team with organiser Chris Rawlinson being the backbone of the awards, and Huddlemind CEO Dave Duarte, adding strategic value.

News24 has been confirmed as the headline sponsor this year.  Naude says, “Having News24 on board will help us take the awards to a new level. Last year alone, the event attracted more than 5 000 blog nominations and over 100 000 individual votes. With News24’s commitment to showcasing content from the nominated blogs to their audience of more than 2 million online South Africans, we expect these figures to increase impressively.”

Karen Dempers, Head of Marketing at News24 believes the sponsorship is a natural fit: “Many South Africans are referring to blogs for updates, opinion and insight into what is happening around them. We have seen a significant increase in the popularity of user generated content across the News24 network and have watched the number of blogs grow year on year as more South Africans embrace this platform to voice their opinions.”

The nomination process
Bloggers in the country will be given recognition for their contribution to the ever growing blogging community. During the nomination process for the awards, the public is requested to nominate their favourite blogs before being judged by a panel of industry experts in 24 different categories.

This year the award categories include the newly introduced SA Tweeter of the Year – acknowledging the best Twitter account, Best Company Blog, and Best Fashion Blog. The entry criteria state that only blogs written within South Africa and/or blogs written by South African citizens are considered eligible for the awards.

Nominations will take place between 2-27 August 2010. Thereafter, the top ten nominees in each category will go into the public vote phase from 1-17 September. The results of this vote will then be passed onto the judges who will cast their votes thereby deciding the category winner. The overall winner of the SA Blog Awards will be chosen by the judges from the selection of category winners.

The following Blog Award categories are available this year:

• Havana Club Rum Best Blog Design: Best designed blog.
• Jameson Best Fashion Blog: Best blog about fashion/style.
• Best Personal Blog: Diary type blogs of a personal life story.
• The Kulula Best Travel Blog: Blog featuring travel related content.
• Best Blog about Politics: Blogs featuring mainly a political theme.
• Best Food and Wine Blog: Blogs written primarily about food or drink.
• Best New Blog: Blogs which were started during the year of 2009/2010.
• The Ogilvy Twitter Micro Blogger of the Year: Best SA Twitter account.
• Best Photographic Blog: Blogs featuring original photographic content.
• The News24 South African Blog of the Year: The Best of the Best from SA.
• Olmeca Tequila Best Music Blog: Blogs about news of the musical nature.
• Best TV/Radio Blog: Best blog by a South African TV or Radio personality.
• Best South African Podcast/Video Blog: Best online audio/video shows.
• Best Parenting Blog: Blogs about the trials and tribulations of living with little people.
• Best Group Blog: Blogs with more than one author. This includes mainstream media.
• Most Controversial Blog: The blog which caused the most amount of discomfort in 2009.
• The Ogilvy Best Media and Marketing Blog: A blog which comments on design, branding and marketing would also fit into this category.
• The Old Mutual Best Green Blog: Blogs covering mainly environmental organic or environmental friendly related content.
• The Evox Advanced Nutrition Best Sports Blog: Blogs written exclusively about any recognised sport.
• The UCT Graduate School of Business Best Business Blog: Blogs about businesses or business education - individually written.
• The Best Company Blog: Best blog by a corporate, small business or non-profit organisation.
• Best Indigenous Language Blog: Blogs written in an indigenous language with a slight bias toward the culture of that language.
• Best Science and Technology Blog: Blogs primarily focused on science, technology, computers or the internet.
• Best Overseas South African Blog: Blogs written by a South African in any foreign country.
• Best Entertainment Blog: Blogs about art, movies, celebrities, theatre and topical issues with entertainment value.

In addition to News24, category sponsors this year include advertising giants Ogilvy Cape Town, kulula.com, Old Mutual, The UCT Graduate School of Business, Evox. Olmeca Tequila, Jameson, Havana Club Rum and Atmosphere Communications - a PR agency that has successfully used social media campaigns for its clients.

• For more information on the awards and the nomination process, visit www.sablogawards.com

About the South African Blog Awards:
The South African Blog Awards were started in 2005 and are a showcase of the best blogs in South Africa voted for by the public and their peers. Since its inception more than six thousand blogs have been nominated with over one hundred thousand individual votes. The SA blog awards is the only event in Africa that reaches all the best South African blogs and online digital influencers in one go.

- Issued on behalf of Atmosphere Communications

** More News and Media Articles **