Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

Fans And Brands

As anyone may have guessed, I'm a fan of the whole personal branding thing.  I'm no Dan Schawbel (hey, who IS except, well, Dan Schawbel), but I feel it's overall a positive thing -it's about establishing and communicating identity and building a presence. Sometimes it can get overdone (especially when one treats it like PRODUCT branding), but I feel it's a good thing overall - it makes people aware of themselves and how they present themselves.

And if you're a fanboy, fangirl, geek, nerd, etc. guess what, you are probably FAR better at it than you realize, because fandom socializing in the online days has massive elements of personal branding.

So guess what - you're probably pretty good at it.

News of the Day, July 31, 2009

Job Market

The Best and Worst Resume Builder: According to this piece, it's your blog. A well-written blog can be a plus on the "experience" section of a resume, a wank-a-thon can sink you if prospective employees Google your name. Be careful what you put out there, especially with your professional name on it!

Dealing With Job Search Depression: A list of resources designed to help people who can't seem to see the light at the end of the bad-economic-times tunnel.

Video Games

Sony's total second quarter loss is a staggering nearly $400 million, and it's not just their games division that's hurting - they're suffering losses across the board. Hopefully, the company's recently announced strategic moves (like Playstation Network on its laptops) will help them get back on their feet. As Fan to Pro's official Sony Stalker, I have a couple of tips for them: 1) The PSP Phone - GET ON WITH IT. 2) Swallow your pride and cut the PS3 prices already. It's the only way to get the machine back in the game, no pun intended. Come on, you admitted yourself that manufacturing costs of the thing are down 70 percent, there's no reason not to!

Old warhorse Capcom continues to grow, posting a record increase for the first quarter, largely on the strength of its Monster Hunter game. They're definitely worth tossing a resume to, they're a smart company that's proved they can change with the times.    

Money for Nothing again: Virtual goods are being purchased by 12 percent of Americans, and that number will grow along with the popularity of online roleplaying games. This is a growing, expanding field that is definitely productive to get into. 

Economics/Geekonomics

More signs we may have a hard climb back uphill: Restaurant traffic declined for the 22nd month in June, plus investments continued to slump and the gross domestic product declined 1 percent in the second quarter - although that last number can also be taken as a sound of cautious optimism.

Social Media

MySpace has officially started the rollout of its E-mail service. It will be available to all global users "within the next couple of years" and the company is pledging that it will be spam-free. (We'll see how that works out.) If the service catches on, it may be the shot in the arm MySpace desperately needs.

Technology

A pair of stunning Web success stories to report: Web MD's ad revenues were up 18 percent in the second quarter, and Firefox is approaching one billion downloads. Both are cases of companies that saw a need and went after it - Web MD is the go-to site for all things medical, thanks to strategic marketing and advertising, and Firefox has always presented itself as the less-problematic alternative to Internet Explorer (It's probably no coincidence that when Firefox made its announcement, Microsoft claimed that its latest Internet Explorer version is gaining momentum among consumers). Good strategy and good branding of your product can put you ahead even in a down business climate.

Is an iPhone Nano coming? The company has filed a patent that indicates so. If this smaller, cheaper version hits the market, it may mean more converts to the phone and even more demand for iPhone softwae (not to mention more demand for personnel at AT&T, which will dobtlessly see a subscriber boost - unless Apple ends its exclusivity contract with them). Stay tuned.

The Zune, Microsoft's answer to the iPod, is in deep trouble, to the point where some retailers have stopped carrying it altogether. According to this writer, while Apple continued to evolve its music device, the Zune remained pretty much the same. Lesson here: If you want to take on a titan of a particular field head-on, make sure you offer something different that people can't get anywhere else. (Something tells me their "me, too!" Microsoft stores will get a similar reception). 

Anime/Manga

Funimation seems to be at the top of the commercial anime heap nowadays - their sales exceeded expectations for the first quarter, thanks to continually strong (and unkillable by bad live-action movies) properties like Dragonball Z. This raises the interesting possibility that their streaming video ventures may be serving as a promotion for their DVDs, rather than killing DVD sales.  

Comics

Graphic novels aimed at U.S. adults suffered an eight percent drop in sales over the past year - not surprising, given the economic climate in general. Meanwhile, at least one American graphic novel publisher, Archaia, is going the digital route, offering content via Kindle. We just wonder when more publishers will  follow the lead of U.S. manga companies and start offering content via either readers or online for a fee, which may help boost their bottom line out of sheer novelty. 

Publishing

Another loss of weekly papers, the training ground for young journalists: Sun Newspapers will close half its community publications. Hopefully, municipal Web sites with community news will emerge to fill what is a vital void in news reporting.

- Bonnie

Practicing Change

One of the hardest things to do with our careers and lives is change.

We usually THINK we can change. We point to places in life we have changed.  Sadly, we usually miss how much of our life is the same old same old for years or decades - even things we should want to change.

Let's face it, it's hard to change.  At the same time, in this changing world and in this altering job market, change is vital.  I ended up moving cross-country for my career - trust me, I know change.

Also, let us be honest, change is difficult, challenging, and disrupting.  We don't WANT to change, especially if we've got  good routine going or feel comfortable.  Many of us in fact have had our fill of change, thank you very much.

Still, change isn't going away.  My advice?  Practice change.

We're all entrepreneurs

I know some people who've gone and started their own business.  They're entrepreneurs, and frankly, pretty impressive people.  They've got their own jobs, and though its work, its work they love.

People often look at such people with envy - they want to make the leap to owning their own business, freelancing, etc.  They want to be entrepreneurs.

They already are, the problem is they don't know it.

Fan to Pro Directions NOT To Pursue

We're all about converting your dreams, and the knowledge you gained from your fandom activities, into all sorts of careers. But are there times when you shouldn't embrace a specific career your dreams led you to?

Yes, there are - and the careers in question are ones that are being pushed aside by a changing world.

News of the Day, July 30, 2009

Job Market

I Hate My Job!: The importance of identifying if what you really hate is the work itself, or the atmosphere you do it in. Failure to do so can result in bad career choices.

How to Innovate Your Career: Looking at your job as accumulating a series of experiences that can be applied to several disciplines - for instance, the people skills you picked up working the counter at a fast food joint can help you in management. Remember, this applies to experiences picked up via hobbies and interests, too.  

Media

Cablevision, which suffered a hefty drop in profits, is spinning off its sports businesses, which include the Knicks, Rangers and the arena where they play, Madison Square Garden. The company is doing well to focus on media as damage control, especially since they've become a big player in the ISP arena. Their Optimum service offers complimentary wifi access to subscribers within their coverage area, meaning they intend to go toe-to-toe with phone company mobile Internet services. (The Everything Wars: Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends . . .) Would not be at all surprised to see them boost their Internet involvement in the future, so keep an eye out. 

Technology

Advertising in web-based gaming is expected to grow much faster than in console gaming. No surprise - casual Web games are red-hot right now, and also, people expect to see ads in them - unlike console gaming, where the ads may be viewed as intrusive and negative.

Sprint was banking heavily on the Palm Pre to pull it out of the fire, but it seems to have not quite done the job - it lost $384 million in the last quarter. However, the company is now throwing its dice in another direction, announcing it will have an Android phone by the end of the year. We suspect Palm may eventually be shopping its device to other partners. Sprint is definitely not on the resume shortlist, especialy for the immediate future.

Why Microsoft Seems to Have Gotten the Better End of the Search Deal: Followup analysis to yesterday's blockbuster Microhoo announcement. Yahoo's stocks tumbled yesterday, so Bing definitely seems to be the winner here - at least in the short term. Consider the division on the "probably will grow in the near future" list.

Is downloadable music finally killing CDs? Mega-company EMI, parent of Capitol Records (known as The House Built By The Beatles And Currently Maintained By Coldplay), has said it will only sell CDs through big-box retailers. If you're thinking of going into independent music retailing . . . don't. This sounds like the tip of an iceberg. 

Anime/Manga/Comics

East meets West: Studio Madhouse is producing a Wolverine anime, in which Logan has been transformed into a bishounen, as well as an Iron Man anime. The lines between anime and Western pop culture are increasingly blurring (as evidenced by the Harry Potter, Star Wars and Venture Brothers cosplay at Otakon), so knowing a bit about both might be a boost to anyone enterting entertainment-related fields.

Manga Keeps Growing in a Tough Economy: Given the general state of the publishing industry, this is a very good thing to see. If you're aiming for a career here, you're on the right track. 

Publishing

Publisher's Weekly, the Bible of the publishing industry, is up for sale.  Owner Reed Business Group is looking to divest itself of most of its trade publications. Hopefully, it'll be purchased by a forward-looking company that can use PW as a way to point publishers toward new media, which will ultimately be its salvation.

Video Games

It was a down quarter for gaming companies: Sony revenue fell for the third consecutive quarter, with sales on game consoles among the divisions taking a hit (1.1 million PS3s and 1.3 million PSPs were shipped in the quarter compared to 1.6 million and 3.7 million respectively in the same period last year). Meanwhile, things are equally glum at the House that Mario Built, with Nintendo profits down a stunning 60 percent, with the lack of new blockbuster games cited as one reason. The general state of the economy and the high yen were also factors for both companies. In the case of Nintendo, it may also be a case of Wii and Wii Fit supply finally meeting demand. For Nintendo, this seems to be a temporary setback, as the just-released Wii Sports Resort and the upcoming Wii Fit sequel may take care of their blockbuster problem. Sony is more questionable, but they never should be counted out. Keep an eye on the situation for both companies.   

Undaunted, Sony is moving ahead with a Playstation 3 Home update that includes a "movie theater" which may offer full-length movies and TV shows in the future. This seems to be a major counterattack to Xbox's Netflix partership, further evolving gaming consoles into full lifestyle devices. Your move now, Nintendo . . . 

- Bonnie

Geek Alert: Yahoo and Microsoft sign search deal.

This one is all over the geekosphere, and there's a lot information. First, it appears it's a ten year deal - and secondly, Yahoo is getting 110% of ad revenue the first two years Yes, 110%. Yahoo also gets to work relations for Microsoft.

A little more detail is available here - the integration could take two years.

So, my take on this?

• This isn't approved - it'll take into 2010 to get regulatory approval.
• The deal takes up to 24 months to integrate AFTER appoval - so we can be talking 30 months or more until it's all done technically.
• Yahoo is toast if this goes through - they'll be thorouhgly dependent on Microsoft. As a truly separate company it's over with, and I could see a total integration happening within that decade.
• This is more of the Everything Wars, and I suspect Google will make some other stunning announcement - or accelerate projects like Chrome, in the near future. It's also possible the sense of Microsoft as a larger company than they are may make them leverage more alliances and OS projects for image reasons.
• This is more of the Everything wars. More here.

  And for Irony? Remember for years Yahoo was powered by Google.

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And now our regular news . . .

Career:
Good basic advice on researching companies you want to work for.

Publication:
Why music magazines are dying - Most interesting to me is that they had social media elements before there was social media. A good read on the industry that you can probably apply to many others.

LibreDigital raises $15 million - They do multiplatform digital distribution. Wonder if they allow companies to delete files . . . sarcasm aside, not a surprising investment. Let's see if it can pay off - I'm concerned VC is coming to electronic publishing a bit slower than it needs, which may further hamper development.

Mobile:
There is apparently a way to hijack iPhones via text message. Those of you working (or wanting to work) in IT security, you now have a brand new horror story to share. Let's see how Apple reacts and if this ends up quickly in the wild, that will affect future activities.

Android gets a Facebook app - It's a start, at least. Certainly Android is being taken very seriously.

Social Media:
Twitter's new front page emphasizes search - Pretty much a strategy people figured Twitter would count on. Interesting thought is if they include more ilinking, crossreferencing, etc. they may have something - and could they interlink other sources? Either way, Twitter moves forward.

Video:
EpixHD launches - Basically movie studios let you see their movies if your internet/TV provider has a deal anyway. Not exactly impressive (and more of the specialty distribution we've seen), but a player. I don't have high hopes for it due to its limitations. Still worth watching to see if it has any market impact.

Video Games:
A possible inFamous movie? - Sounds like a possibility. I see some potential here (thought I think a miniseries more fits the arc), as the game had very cinematic qualities. Between this and the WoW movie we could see functional game-movie synergy which is unfortunately rare - at best you get mediocre and some quick money.

The Downside to Direct Download in gaming - Lots to think of, including how a shift to DLC could be done easy by some companies - and bring unexpected side effects (like potentially forcing them to direct-sell hardware). Lots to think over. I myself am loosing some enchantment with DLC the more I analyze it, but it's still going to be something TRIED, even if it results in horrible failures - because companies want to make more money.

- Steven Savage

Backlog In Media

Imagine you're someone that produces media - or maybe you already do  Perhaps you make video games, or manga, or fantasy novels.  You have a good thing going, and of course you have competitors, but you can deal with them.  You can do more, faster, better . . . except there's one competitor that's getting better all the time and has a LOT more material than you could ever produce.

The backlog of games, anime, comics, media etc. that's out there now.  That's a growing competition for everyone working in media right now.

Kindle, Amazon, Technology, Trust

As the Kindle Deletion Disaster continues, I'm seeing a lot of analyses of what this means.  Yes, there's what it does to Amazon, there's the political repercussions (what's to stop a government from manipulating omni-delete features), and there's more to come.  I'd like to add one thing the Kindle Deletion Disaster does to writing: it affects trust.

Trust is a very important thing in the world of media, as we geeks and fans know.  A company can loose trust with a lousy game, by cracking down on fansites, etc.  But the Kindle and similar technologies give companies - and creators - a chance to completely destroy trust in their work by doing boneheaded things.

Convention Idea: Go Local!

More on my ideas on helping cons appeal to progeeks and profans.  Previous articles are: here, here, and here.

In my musings, speculations, and ideas on ways to add more professional and career-building events to conventions, I've talked about guests that people can invite to conventions.  I want to talk about something that's often missed.

Local guests from local businesses.