Console pricing – how low can we go?

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As someone who grew up in the eighties, I remember fondly the introduction of the Compact Disc.  Impossibly cool-looking, shiny discs, each apparently indestructible and capable of playing Dire Straits at unrivalled quality.  A few failed audio and video formats later, DVD came along and did the same thing for video.

All that time, the message, from the manufacturers, to the media, to the man in the hi-fi shop was “if it sounds better, it is better”.  And we listened to that message; and we heard that it was good.

But things started to change in the late nineties.  MP3 players didn’t sound better.  And once Apple married a cool, intuitive MP3 player was to a vast, convenient digital store, the music world changed forever.  Convenience beat fidelity.
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Gamification, Exploitationware or Cowclickivism* : Where is it all heading?

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* Article Wired Magazine, Jan 2012, by Jason Tanz (www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_cowclicker/all/1)

My issue with all of these words is that they are more about the buzz and media hype that they generate than a real understanding of what is actually going on and where it will lead us.

As Marshall McLuhan put it so succinctly “anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know the first thing about either”. From painful experience gained, I wholeheartedly agree with McLuhan. Taking this a little further and unpacking this statement it reveals two profound truths:

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Why Tenshi Consulting – or why now

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I wanted to begin by explaining why we’ve created Tenshi Consulting.  There is a short explanation.  That creative digital businesses always have opportunities to pursue and problems to solve, and that we can provide additional specialist resources to help.  Whether that’s assistance bringing in more business, delivering projects, raising finance – we’re here to help.  The longer answer is perhaps addressing the question, why now.  The following 5 reasons, or rather the analysis in 5 steps, focuses on our strategic offering and informs our belief in the need for a group.
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Press Release – Tenshi Consulting Launches

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Press Release – from 8am UK, 6 December 2011

Games Consulting Group from Industry Insiders 

Tenshi Consulting launches today to provide consulting services to the creative industries and specialises in digital media and games.   Founding Partners Ian Baverstock and Jonathan Newth (who created UK developer Kuju Entertainment) launched Tenshi Ventures in 2010, an angel investment initiative which is working on a number of projects.  Ian explains the thinking behind Tenshi Consulting, “as we spoke to others in and around the investment community, it became clear that there are a lot of people interested in our industry but few who understand it.  There isn’t an established consulting business focused on this space that can advise either investors, or for example, people working on government policy.  From here we’ve developed the concept and are now excited to be launching a group that can serve developers, publishers and those within the industry in addition to those around it.”

Co-founder Jonathan Newth on the consultants themselves: “there are a number of individuals doing consulting work in this space but few if any that are looking to build a consulting organisation.  As such we can offer experienced individuals the benefits of working in a group.  And then by offering clients access to a team, we are better able to address projects that require a range of skills.”

Ed Daly joined as Managing Partner in order to drive the consulting business, he explains “We’ve got a superb core group of ten consultants and are signing up more.  We can provide a range of services, including due diligence on partners, assistance raising finance, hands on production and technical help.  There are details on the website.  There have always been individuals that can be brought in but until now there hasn’t been an organisation with enough scale to provide a depth and breadth of expertise to clients.”  Tenshi’s core team includes former CEOs and CTOs from across digital media.  The initial group includes Jules Davis, Gina Fegan, Kevin Holloway, Harry Holmwood, Gina Jackson, Matt Spall & Guy Wilday.