Why Pokémon is a Game Changer and How We Can Use This for Music, Art and Environmental Sustainability.

With all the hype over Pokémon Go launching from Niantic and Nintendo, augmented reality games might be here to stay.

There have been several attempts at delivering augmented reality mobile gaming like with Ghostbusters. However, Pokémon Go seemed to capture two important cultural keys.

Childhood Memories

The first is the connection to childhood memories. Pokémon are imaginary cartoon animals that you can train to battle other Pokémon. It is a modern version of what traditionally has been the Japanese pastime of catching insects. Originally from 1995, Pokémon was accessible via Gameboy and card games. This puts millennials right in the point of origin for the target market. Those that were of game playing age back then are now 30 -40 years old and have expendable income on smartphones and other technology. The game puts you in the first person, which is what other versions of this game lacked.

Culturally Significant Landmarks

It also uses geofencing technology to augment gameplay. Right now,  Niantic uses a propriety database of culturally significant landmarks as "PokéStops" where you can collect more "PokéBalls" (traps to catch Pokémon). In my home town which is an old mill city, most cultural landmarks such as bell towers and even Fenway Park are PokéStops. You can see people of all ages gathering around these areas to catch more Pokémon. If your business happens to be a Pokéstop, you have probably seen an increase of sales. Expect Niantic to receive sponsorships in the near future from major retailers to be listed as a Pokéstop.

Geofencing

Geofencing is where we can leverage music and arts. Geofencing is nothing new to apps or to art. In fact, two composers used geofencing to create a piece of music that centered around the Washington DC area. However, what happens if the music changes as we move closer or further away from an area? What happens if the speed at which we move changes the music? How do we program for this? How do we produce for this? Can a Pokéstop also educate?

These are important questions that Pokémon Go is creating. Even with the game in Beta, it didn't create as much of a cultural revolution like it did two weeks ago. People are outside and moving about, altering every perception of video gamers being a solitary hermit micro-society. Nintendo made a brilliant marketing move in the end. It knew it could not compete with traditional game consoles, so it brought the gamer away from the console.

What now?

If this trend keeps on going through the summer, prediction: expect to see more advertisements on the platform as well as high paying sponsors. We should also see service get smoother from Niantic which is having a very hard time handling increased server load. 

Prediction: The login credentials are currently through Google and Niantic's own portal. Expect to see a Facebook login key shortly. 

Long Term Change and Sustainability?

Prediction: We should also see a backlash from telecom companies on the amount of data this app is using. Similar to when Netflix went live with HD streaming, customers are going to push hard against data caps. If the telecom industry is smart, they will figure out a way to mitigate data overages for those customers willing to pay more. If the trend goes beyond 6 months, we can expect to see even more infrastructure installed in low coverage areas, because cultural significant landmark are in these areas. 

Solar:

We should also see improvements in mobile device technology. Right now, Pokémon Go is an absolute drain on battery life. If people are using this app with less access to wall outlets to recharge, Solar might be the answer. Prediction: Solar Cell mobile phone covers would allow for battery recharging without a wall outlet. Imagine people 

How Much Do Game Audio Professionals Really Make?

From GameSoundCon: Current state of income levels among video game composers and sound designers revealed in the recent GameSoundCon report With the assistance of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), Brian Schmidt, Executive Director of GameSoundCon, the premier conference for video game music and sound design, conducted a comprehensive survey among composers, sound designers, audio directors, and others involved in writing music and/or sound content for video games. The goal of the survey was to establish an updated and realistic picture of the income possibilities and parameters for video game composers and sound designers, including the freelancer segment. GameSoundCon received over 500 responses to questions related to compensation, work and environment, additional compensation, use of live musicians & middleware, and contract terms within the categories "large budget games", "casual games" (smaller budget but professionally produced and marketed), and "independent games" (self-financed, such as Kickstarter projects, etc). "The changes in the overall game industry are certainly reflected in the game audio industry," said Schmidt.  "Especially in smaller scale games, composers are also creating sound effects and doing integration or other technical work. One thing that surprised us was that compensation had two definite peaks, one at around $55,000 and one around $110,000. We believe this reflects the premium that top composers and sound designers with the right skills can demand, even in a very competitive market." The results of the GameSoundCon report reveal important findings for working professionals in the game sound industry: Game Music and Sound is predominantly a freelance gig (60%) Game Music is overwhelmingly "work for hire" (95%) and "per unit" royalties are rare.  A salaried employee makes $70,532 per year on average, whereas a freelancer in the large-budget game category can make more than that with just one project. More details, such as project fees for indy/casual games can be found in the report at GameSoundCon.com Most game composers, particularly for smaller games, also deliver sound effects and/or do integration or other technical work Even in large-budget games, most of the music is produced virtually as opposed to predominantly by live musicians(54%). Women are underrepresented in the industry, at less than 5% "It's hard to define our industry", says Brian Schmidt, "It is impossible to draw a sharp line between the categories. Nevertheless, we believe it serves as a useful distinction so that we're not comparing the compensation from a blockbuster like Call of Duty with that of a, 2-person development company making an iPhone game in their basement." In addition to compensation information, the survey reported on Work and Environment Additional Compensation (Royalties, Bonuses) Use of Live Musicians in video game music Use of Middleware in games Contract terms, Soundtracks & Performance Rights clauses The complete report with details, graphs, and remarks on the statistical validity of the GameSoundCon survey can be found in the complete downloadable PDF at GameSoundCon.com.