Super-Rich Media: Time Inc's Magazine App Concept
Time Inc. is exploring how they can port their content to a new tablet format in preparation for the impending slew of tablets hitting the market in 2010. TechCrunch has a couple of articles on it: one is an overview describing this "Manhattan Project" and the other provides videos of the device and a demo. From the writeup, here's some info about the platform/content:
- The demo was shown on an HP table computer with a touchscreen, but it could easily be ported to an iPhone or an Apple iTablet
- The idea is to create something so beautiful and fluid that readers will actually want to pay for it
- Sports scores and other data can be dynamically updated from the Web, or you can share stories and photos via email, Facebook, or Twitter
- Time is considering offering each magazine edition as an "app" with the thinking that people buy apps, so why wouldn't they buy a magazine delivered as an app
I'm not sure about the pricing approach (I personally like the concept of a subscription so I don't have to remember to go buy the next magazine app every month), but I love the the implementation. Tons of pictures, video and real-time data working together seamlessly. While one would expect a demo to be exceptionally clean and polished, if Time is able to deliver an experience like this in production, it represents a very strong foray into this new delivery channel.
With the SI demo in particular, they touch on two areas where I could see the tablet form factor making a lot of sense; providing a strong selling point:
- Fantasy Leagues: They only touch on this briefly, but I could envision SI really capitalizing on the fantasy market. While I'm not a fantasy footballer, a lot of my buddies are and a lot of them take their leagues very seriously. It's easy to imagine Fantasy Football drafts taking place around the country live via tablets or iPhones.Given the popularity of fantasy sports, this could be a big selling point. People take their drafts seriously.
- Gaming: Another interesting angle that is hinted at is the live-broadcast gaming. While the demo only touches on it briefly, the concept sort of reminds me of Moundball, but better (and worse I suppose) because you wouldn't have to be watching the game at a stadium with your buddies to play. You could be anywhere and play with any of your buddies.I could see a nice market for games like that though I'm not sure if that's enough to generate demand in and of itself.
In any case, take a look:
Update: LukeW has a great writeup on the Time Inc. tablet on his blog. Highly recommended.
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