Reflecteur 65 looks into new and exciting ways digital culture brings us together and sets us apart, whether its the data from social media sites mapping our mood and location, markets catering to a specific person’s need online, or separating our social feeds by friends and ex-significant others. Also, fingerpainting with an iPad and Denuo’s foray into social gaming, via FarmVille and organic foods.
FarmVille has long been the focal point for social gaming, what with its millions of users, socially-relevant gameplay, and showcasing the gaming potential in Facebook. However, its recent foray into branded experiences in and around the game have introduced a whole new level of possibilities on the virtual farm, something that General Mills‘ organic food brand, Cascadian Farm, saw as a perfect fit for promoting their products.
Denuo was brought on board to help Cascadian Farm extend the already awesome idea to put organic crops into the game outward into both the Farmville community and Cascadian Farm’s community. Since both communities were made up of dedicated, passionate, and extremely vocal folks, the challenge was bringing these two groups together without alienating either side.
We considered the changing gaming space and how folks are playing with each other these days and, using three key things we know about gaming culture, built a couple of ways to mix the groups together to equally enjoy this unique experience.
New and improved, with 50 percent MORE culture, it’s this week’s Reflecteur!
This week, our digital culture experts turn their eyes toward the demands of the famous, whether its the curiosity of people when it comes to celebrity tour riders or newer celebrities like the double-rainbow guy asking what could be better than a full-on, complete rainbow. Also, catalog living, avoiding your friends via location-based apps, the secrets of popular music exposed by the Axis of Awesome, and Youtube as a historical film archive. All contained in this blockbuster, 50% bonus-filled edition of Reflecteur!
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Sorry about that. This week’s issue was taken over by the World Cup’s digital vuvuzela, found inside, along with a whole bunch of other digital extensions to the planet’s favorite sporting event. Also, we watch a digital behavior go analog as “Liking” something creeps into the real world, a classically-trained violinist playing the first level of Super Mario Bros. (not how you think), and the technology of today getting a decidedly-retro graphic design makeover. Finally, New @ Denuo recaps our involvement with The Betacup and how changing our coffee-drinking habits could save the planet from environmental destruction.
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I was browsing the internets the other day when I happened upon the news that Nintendo’s releasing new colors of their mega-sized DSi XL in Japan. They look pretty fantastic (I’m especially diggin’ on that yellow one).
The video reminded me how much I love the smurf blue DSi. It kinda reflects my odd taste, and I dig that. Sadly the digital tool that reflects my odd digital tastes the most is boring on the outside. My smartphone. The 2010 smartphone is a decidedly black, white, and grey affair. Well consider this my call to arms. For color. My call for color if you will (clever, right?).
