Archive for September, 2011
As a tennis fan for more than forty years I’ve seen technology change the game in many ways. From major changes in equipment (I think I still have an old Dunlop Maxpli somewhere in my house) to electronic scoreboards, and more recently video replays as part of a player line call ‘challenge’ system. In fact the camera for it is sometimes called a ‘Mac cam’ in honor of John McEnroe.
But there would not have been as notable a John McEnroe had he come around in 2010 instead of 1977. Almost certainly he would not have been remembered as the mercurial and volatile performer the world came to know. Several years ago pro tennis instituted a ‘challenge’ system whereby the player can challenge up to three line calls per set, (this is only available at tournaments that employ the technology, and at the U.S. Open it is limited to a few large courts). A video replay shows definitively if the ball is in or out. If the challenge is won by the player and the line call reversed, the player does not lose the challenge.
The players watch the replay just like the spectators and then based on the result they go back to the match. No replacing of lines-people (the ones that call the ball in or out) or yelling at the umpire or calling them names like ‘You are the pits of the world’.
Watching tennis today is very different than it was when McEnroe was playing. That is not to say it is better or worse – just different. The racquets have changed the way the game is played, as have size, strength, and player fitness. But while I support the challenge system since the idea is to get the calls right and I agree with that, some of the game’s personality has been lost in the process.
The bottom line here is that I miss the dynamics of player eruptions on the court during a match. Of course at times McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, and Ilie Nastase went too far with their antics and foul mouth tirades on the court. But it was SO unpredictable, exciting and interesting! Even Andre Agassi played in the era before the challenge system and at times would offer some colorful comments in the middle of a match. Those days are dwindling once the challenge system is in place for all matches – and that day appears to be coming all too soon.
I fear that tennis is losing some of its uniqueness and drama. For that reason I hope baseball does not go to electronic umpires as arguments like balls or strikes, safe vs. out are part of the game and if technology took the uncertainty away would that make it better?
I was at the U.S. Open Monday and a friend commented that tennis was the only sport he could think of in which you warm up your opponent prior to trying to defeat them in a one-to-one match. That has been the case as long as I have played or watched tennis. It is one of the interesting idiosyncrasies of the game. Is that tradition the next thing to change? I hope not.
I feel that tennis needs to hold on to its personality and should be careful not to give up any more of it.
One more thing – I wrote a post http://wp.me/pJX7l-66 last year about how much I liked the Tennis Channel. This year Tennis Channel was the sole provider of coverage at night from the U.S. Open on several occasions. Only as of September 2nd a dispute between Cablevision, Verizon and the Tennis Channel caused those two systems to no longer carry the Tennis Channel. While it’s good that people can watch the U.S. Open (for free) on their computer (www.usopen.org), without internet enabled television watching it on the small screen is not nearly as good as on a big HDTV screen. The Tennis Channel is really relevant for two weeks – the two weeks of the U.S. Open. The small amount of viewers that watch it the other times of year are a fraction of the potential audience. How could this happen?
Is technology taking away tennis’ personality and traditions?
I try to follow the developments in the videogame industry since my son is finishing up his course work to become a video game developer and designer. Much of the talk of the past week (aside from hurricanes) was about Steve Jobs and his monumental contribution to the way people live their lives. A small article over the weekend did a nice job of summarizing the impact – http://nyti.ms/qM62BEOne could argue that traditional video gaming systems are becoming obsolete – at least in terms of mass appeal. Mobile gaming platforms are improving and while I initially had doubts about people’s willingness to play games on a small screen I have concluded that I greatly underestimated the power of mobile gaming. Inexpensive iPhone apps have inexorably altered the course of the gaming market.
It also has me wondering about overall the impact that the new mobile life will have on behavior and commerce. Movie attendance continues to slide even if the overall dollar take is slightly higher (due to higher ticket prices). Will enough people still be interested in sitting at home and playing Xbox, Playstation and other console games to have those companies continue working on the platform?
From the L2 blog over the weekend it appears gaming in China is changing rapidly as well and yes attributing this to Mr. Jobs is not far-fetched. http://bit.ly/nMx65e
‘China is fast-becoming the second-largest market in terms of downloads for many developers including companies like Rovio, but it lags behind in terms of monetization. The country came in just behind the U.S. in page views on Google’s AdMob advertising network in July, according to statistics the network shared at an iOS developer conference in China this past weekend.
The promise is there, but how do mobile developers take advantage of it?
Over the past two weeks in Beijing and Shanghai, I’ve had the chance to talk with several mobile developers like High Noon-maker Happylatte, PapayaMobile, PopCap Games and other companies being incubated in former Google China head Kai-Fu Lee’s incubator Innovation Works.
It’s an incredibly complex and different market from the U.S., but here are a few insights into developing and marketing iOS and Android apps there. (Inside Mobile Apps)’
Many videogames are based on the effort to hit a constantly moving target. My son has learned a great deal about computer programming and coding. But what may be the most important lesson is learning how to hit that moving target when it comes what to develop next. At least that’s what I am hoping.
So who out there plays console video games? And if you do, are you playing more or less? How about mobile video games?
One of the great things about being in a city like New York and working in Soho in particular is the endless amount of good and great restaurants. The availability for virtually any kind of ethnic or type of cuisine is limitless. New York is hardly unique in this aspect but I can’t think of another city I’ve been to that has more choices when it comes to food.
Restaurants are known for their specialties. Whether it’s a signature dish from a top chef, a new approach from an up-and-comer, or a particular kind of cuisine that the restaurant is known for, people are drawn to the unique aspects of the food and the experience. Consequently they often specialize in a few things that become part of the restaurant’s reputation.
Today, marketing agencies also have a penchant for specialization. The specialization could come in the form of different approaches to email marketing, new ways of media buying, cutting–edge creative solutions, or counter-intuitive marketing strategy – just to name a few examples.
I thought about that while I was having lunch Thursday at a restaurant that has only been open six months in Soho – http://www.themusselpot.com. From the name it is apparent in what area they specialize. When I saw the name I immediately thought about all the delicious options the menu could have for mussels (I love mussels). I was not disappointed in any way.
The restaurant was really attractive, not crowded on a beautiful Thursday afternoon (that concerned me a bit) and the people working there were very pleasant and into the somewhat unique concept. The mussels were great by the way. I started thinking about who I’d bring there and realized that there are many people I know that either don’t eat shellfish or don’t like to eat mussels, (although I will never understand why).
The menu did have a number of non-mussel, and even non-seafood choices – fried chicken, a pasta dish, a steak and a burger. However to the non-mussel lover the name of the restaurant would probably stop them from ever walking through the door. And if you did not know what’s on the menu you would be hesitant to invite a non-mussel lover to join you in your quest for the perfect bi-valve.
So can a restaurant be too specialized? I hope not but it’s possible. Can a marketing agency be too specialized? Again I think it can be as well. I am certain the chef at The Mussel Pot can prepare many things well beyond mussels and in fact would be disturbed if the perception was all he or she could do was make great mussels. Marketing agencies can specialize and have a reputation for a ‘specialty’; however its talent has to go beyond one or two specialties in order for them to best serve their clients.
Specialization isn’t a bad thing, but at the same time it can end up being a pigeon hole from which it is difficult to be extracted.
What do you think?