Converging Media Part 2

2 Understand the implications of converging technology on the workforce in a particular Creative Media industry.

2.1 Explain what is meant by ‘converging technology’.

As always to get an idea of what converging media you can turn to the holy gospel of Wikipedia,  one second let me just post it in here!

"Technological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks. Convergence can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications), and video that now share resources and interact with each other synergistically"

OK that's great and all but please allow me to break it down for those without a dictionary/thesaurus, Converging Technology is best described as the melding of two or more technological functions to create an entirely new piece of technology. So for example - a microphone + camera that takes 24 photos per second = VIDEO CAMERA!

Some of the features of the all encompassing Iphone 4s

In this technological age of digital information and wireless gadgetry the uses of converging technology to improve the ease of use and functionality of products seems to be non stop, you need to look no further then the all consuming I-phone to bear witness to that statement. No longer just a phone but a media hub with applications for almost every situation.

Swtor: Released Dec 24th

BUT ENOUGH about Apple, they have been mentioned more than enough throughout this course and blog, so now lets have a look at converging technology in computer games shall we, what I am going to layout is the new feature of "Dynamic Story Telling" in developer BioWares latest MMO (See my Gaming Industry post!) Star Wars the Old Republic. This feature effectively lets you and your group of friends partake in "choose your own" adventure within the confines of an online game.

Each conversation that takes place in the game has 3 or more options to choose from each having a different outcome, players choose a response which then "rolls" them a random number to see if they win the opportunity to say their chosen response thus changing the outcome and progression of the story. (no worries if you lose they give you an accumulator).

This new system has its roots back in the history of gaming but I will give a slightly more updated version, the multichoice conversation system or "choose your own" system featured in one form or another from games way back to the text adventure games of "Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy", but was later used predominately in Single player RPG's (role playing games) like Biowares own Baldur's Gate series and the recent master pieces of Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

The "roll" system is also rooted in the history of RPGS, but the online version that was combined with the dialogue system to allow for this new version of story telling was taken from popular MMO "World Of Warcraft". It was introduced as a way of randomising who would take the spoils at the end of any heroic boss fight. Players select their option of "Need or Greed" and the game rolls for them out of 100, highest number = the person who gets to take the treasure or "loot".


Example scenario:

1. Player 1: "Hey, I see a chest!"
2. Player 2: "Okay, let's roll for it."
3. Player 3: /random 100
   

   System Message: Player 3 rolled a 3 of 100



4. Player 3: "I guess I don't get to open it... :-("



5. Player 1: /rand 100
   

   System Message: Player 1 rolled a 97 of 100




6. Player 1: "W00t!"



7. Player 2: "Hold on, cowboy..."



8. Player 2: /roll
   

   System Message: Player 2 rolled a 56 of 100.



9. Player 2: "Darn, roll hack! ;-)"



10. Player 1 opens the chest and loots its contents... but being nice, gives stuff not needed or can't use to the other players...



11. Player 2: "Sweet"



12. Player 3: "Thx" 

* Example taken  from Wow Wiki, unashamedly...*

So by combining both of these in game systems they have crafted a way of having an online game where players can fairly and effectively craft their own stories depending on who their grouped with and their own sense of right and wrong when it comes to moral choices in the SWTOR universe, a fine piece of converging technology I'm sure you will agree.

BBC's On-Demand service Iplayer

2.2 Explain the impact of converging technology on the workforce within a specific Creative Media industry.

The "specific" Creative Media Industry I have picked is that of Television, The converging technology of the digital age has impacted upon the television industry heavily in the past few years, with the rise of the internet becoming a deciding factor in the televisions technological development and the readiness of the entertainment and content available elsewhere has pushed the Television industry to take drastic new ventures onto the web creating "On-Demand" services, which allows users to watch what they want when they want for free allowing them to catch up on their favourite programs.

Rival to the BBC's is Channel 4's "4od"

This has allowed them to have their program guides accessible online or via apps that can be downloaded to the latest smart phones, tablets etc, spread their net and their audience which as you no doubt will have noticed is more "on demand" than ever before,. Moreover they offer downloadable content such as downloading your favourite programs in a digital format (which you keep in a file version of the programme) from online distributors like I-Tunes which can be viewed on your smart-phone, work computer, MP3 players (providing it has video) and watch on the move.