Geoblocking, Sony, Gemini Division, and You

Geoblocking or at least the concept of it is nothing new though it is becoming more prevalent. Video streaming and the Olympics made this abundantly clear. Jack Kapica of Globe Technology online wrote,

"If the Internet represents instant global communications, watching the Olympics online is still based on a pre-Internet mindset. Yes, you can watch the Olympics in streaming video, but you can do so only from a very limited number of sources, each chosen by geography."

I agree with Jack Kapica's statement. The broadcast of TV and new media content is still utilizing a pre-Internet mindset in many ways and there is definitely room for change. It appears that there is both a growing implementation of geoblocking as well as discontent over its use.

For the Olympics it was all about protecting and maximizing ad revenue and this is one of the central issues in the matter. It does ultimately come down to money and companies like Sony appear to be convinced that they can make more money with a pre-internet mindset than without. So far they haven't been shown different.

While geoblocking or geodistribution can be generalized as being about return on investment or even more succinctly as being about money, it is more complex than it appears to be on the surface. This is particularly so with the distribution of multi-platform content.

For those of us who like the Final Fantasy video game franchise, we still have to wait for each release. The games are released in Japan first and then separately to other territories, the upcoming release in 2009 being no exception.

It is important to keep in mind that multi-platform content is not just digital, web distributed video and it encompasses more than a video game. Instead, it also consists of alternate reality gaming websites, graphic novels, mobile and ARG interaction, etc. This content spans mediums and technologies and therefore is much more complex to distribute than a game like Final Fantasy. It has more moving pieces, involves different technologies, and may even feature a video game as part of the content.

That being said, I don't think we can fault producers like Electric Farm Entertainment from seeking to push the new media edge and make a profit in doing so. When there are companies like Sony who offer big money for international distribution rights, production companies will continue to sell distribution rights to them. Even if we put that aside, production companies simply don't have the distribution clout and resources needed to distribute multi-platform content globally. At the moment they still need larger companies like Sony.

The distribution plan for Gemini Division is as follows: Electric Farm Entertainment is the main content producer for Gemini Division, NBC has purchased the rights to distribute in the US, and Sony has the international distribution rights as detailed in this press release. Gemini Division is currently being released in the US and should be released to other territories pretty quickly (Sony did pretty well in distributing Afterworld globally last year). Sony realizes that there is money to be made in distributing good content to a global audience and they are willing to put up money to do so.

I do think that we should be using the Internet to move towards a global community and not to build more walls through geoblocking and territory release of content as mentioned by Modern Geekery. However, I believe that this will require new thinking, new infrastructure, and innovative ideas. We need to rethink how to do media in a digital media age.

I don't think that the current divide is the result of erecting new walls, but instead I think the structure we see today is built upon the walls of yesterday. Further, I think these walls exist due to real world distribution capacity and matters of scale, particularly when it comes to translating and adapting multiplatform content to other territories. For change to happen I think we need a competitive alternative to drive and bring about change.

For instance, consider traditional broadcast TV. What worked in the past, isn't working like it used to. The traditional ad arrangement, where broadcast tv provided free tv and the viewer watched their ads is breaking down. Vcrs, DVD's, DVR's, cable, satelite, Netflix, etc have changed the landscape. This competition is driving broadcast networks to emphasize new ways of doing media (albeit sometimes slowly). Advertising is shifting increasingly away from tv and moving toward online markets. They are beginning to change because there are competitive alternatives.

Another good example is Blockbuster and the local video store in comparison to Netflix. We used to have to go to the store for our movies and we used to have to pay late fees for them. If it wasn't for a competitive alternative this would still be the case. However, Netflix acquired distribution channels and capacity and leveraged the internet to change the landscape dramatically. Amazon in response ended up trying to start up a similar online service, but it simply hasn't been able to keep pace with Netflix.

We need the "Netflix of multi-platform content distribution" to shake up "Sony-type Blockbuster's". Sony may want to consider taking the initiative before someone else does it for them. Hopefully they see this need and are already making steps toward change. It is a prime time.

We also need shows like Gemini Division and companies like Electric Farm Entertainment to push the edge and to create new content as well as to make a profit (which they have already accomplished with Gemini Division and Afterworld). It is a particularly important time not to "shoot the messenger" and not to cut out production companies who are trying to bring us new media.

It is a transitional time and unfortunately sometimes we have to wait. Perhaps while we do, someone will start up the "NetFlix of multi-platform distributed content". Maybe it will be you!