DIGITAL MEDIA

Virtual

Playboy hops into Second Life

US: Playboy Enterprises has launched Playboy Island in Second Life. The Rabbit Head-shaped island, created and maintained by Sentient Services, will house a virtual Playboy retail store and will also offer Second Life residents the chance to connect with the brand through a variety of events and social opportunities.

Playboy’s Second Life retail location will feature merchandise from its e-commerce sites, PlayboyStore.com and ShoptheBunny.com. Residents can purchase Playboy-branded apparel either for the real world or for their Second Life avatars. The virtual store will be staffed by female avatars wearing Playboy-branded apparel and the famous Playboy Bunny costume.

Sony feels pinch of delayed PS3

Sony was counting the cost of delays in the production of its PlayStation 3 game console as the consumer electronics giant announced in May that group losses in the January-March quarter widened to ¥67.6bn (£283m) from ¥66.5bn a year ago.

ABC Island “bombed”

In May ABC Island, its base in Second Life, was “bombed” by hackers reducing the two-month old building to rubble. These types of attacks are not uncommon in Second Life. Virtual "atom bombs" were recently used by the self-styled Second Life Liberation Army against in-world stores owned by Reebok and US retailer American Apparel. The group claims it was campaigning for more democracy in the virtual world.

C of E accuses “sick” Sony

The Church of England accused Sony Corp. using an English cathedral as the backdrop to a violent computer game and said it should be withdrawn from shop shelves.

The church said Sony did not ask for permission to use Manchester cathedral and demanded an apology. The new PlayStation 3 game, "Resistance: Fall of Man," shows a virtual shootout between rival gunmen with hundreds of people killed inside the cathedral. Church officials described Sony's alleged use of the building as "sick" and sacrilegious.

Sky News sets up in Second Life

Sky News UK has built a virtual replica of the Sky newsroom and presenter Adam Boulton will have a virtual version of himself. The pay TV company is also planning to give away virtual television sets to Second Life residents so they can watch Sky News in their virtual living rooms, thereby becoming the first 24-hour news channel in Second Life.

Meanwhile the UK’s Channel 4 was due to launch 4 Radio into Second Life, becoming the first UK radio station to have an ongoing presence there.

Global

Google Video grows its database

Google has sent its Google Video service further down the search engine path by adding clips from other popular video sites to its database. The updated Google Video service still shows the results of its own videos and YouTube results, but now also offers results from Metacafe, MySpace, BBC, and Yahoo Video. Search results will show thumbnail snapshots of videos hosted from these sites.

WPP to acquire 24/7 Real Media

24/7 Real Media, the digital marketing company, signed an agreement to be acquired by marketing communications giant WPP, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $649 million. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the respective boards of directors of 24/7 Real Media and WPP and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2007.

UK broadcasters team-up for video downloads

The BBC, Channel 4 and ITV are in talks about a groundbreaking joint venture to develop a video download service. Called "Project Kangaroo", it is understood the new broadband service would pool BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programming for delivery on demand, so users could download shows such as EastEnders, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks from the same place.

ESPN buys cricket website

Disney's US sports network ESPN has acquired specialist cricket website Cricinfo for an undisclosed sum. The 14-year-old Cricinfo operation was one of the first content sites on the internet and has built a loyal following among cricket fans. Cricinfo has a global audience of around 7 million unique users each month, publishing news, interviews, live scores, match animations and video coverage.

iPhone hits US market

Apple's much-anticipated iPhone will be on US shelves from the beginning of July although those outside America face a longer wait. The handset, which is Apple's biggest step into the mobile market, was due to go on sale in America on 29 June. Apple announced the US launch date in a series of TV adverts showing how the iPhone can play music and display video and photos, as well as make and receive calls and handle email.

Publicis builds Digitas brand

Marketing and advertising group Publicis has bought digital agency Business Interactif for 137 (£92m). Publicis will merge Business Interactif, which has offices in France, China and Japan, with its existing digital advertising operation, Digitas. Under the terms of the deal Publicis Groupe will acquire a 49% stake in Business Interactif, the French-headquartered digital and technology specialist, in a 50/50 cash and shares deal - and rebrand its offices in France, Tokyo and Shanghai under the Digitas banner.

Local

Legion Interactive and See merge to become Belong

Marketing communications group Photon is merging its operations Legion Interactive and See to become a new digital agency called Belong, bringing together the creative, strategic planning and marketing technology of the two companies. Legion specialises in promotional marketing services, such as competitions, promotions, information services, unique content aggregation, origination and publishing, while See is a Melbourne-based ad agency which was established 18 years ago.

BlueFreeway continues on acquisition trail

Digital marketing services group BlueFreeway has continued its aggressive program of acquisitions, spending a further $6.1m on buying two more companies. Its latest purchases of affiliate online marketing company Viva9 and technology firm BlueArc Group, brings the number of businesses in the group to 16, six of which have been bought after BlueFreeway floated on the ASX in December 2006.

Tourism Australia makes global digital push

Tourism Australia has relaunched its Australia.com website to spearhead a new marketing strategy that puts digital at the heart of its global push. The site will become a central gateway where tourists will be able to access visitor information from all of the individual state tourism sites. This is the first time a site has been developed as a joint initiative between Tourism Australia and the eight state and territory tourism organizations.

The White Agency hires NetX boss

Digital shop The White Agency has installed former NetX managing director Miles Joyce in the newly created role of chief executive as it gears up for an aggressive expansion drive. Joyce will take over leadership and overall strategic direction of the 55-strong agency with a seat on the board. He will work alongside agency co-founding partner and managing director, Craig Galvin, who officially takes over the role previously held by the incoming chief's wife, Elizabeth Joyce.

Fairfax Digital joins Google network

Fairfax Digital has struck a commercial partnership with Google that will see the search giant’s Adwords being run across Fairfax Digital’s portals. Revenue generated from the pay-per-click ads that will run on sites such as The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age, will be shared between the two firms. Fairfax will also increase the amount of content that will be accessible through Google Video, and Google Maps will be integrated across the Fairfax Digital network.

Dgm Australia boss leads Asian expansion

Digital marketing network dgm is transferring its Australia and New Zealand managing director Fionn Hyndman to Singapore to become head of its Asia operations, were it is looking to expand. To help its Asian growth, chief executive Adrian Moss, who founded the company, will also be running the global business from Singapore. The Australia and NZ company, headquartered in Sydney, will now be run by current general manager Craig Ellis.

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