an interesting experiment in creating captivating advertisements that engage customers beyond passive visuals.

[thanks, adpunch]

area/code has designed a gaming experience called SHARKRUNNERS for Discovery Channel’s website. The game uses real shark location data, and you chase them by captaining a virtual science vessel, and when you encounter a shark, you can send divers down for research, which can result in shark attacks! This is a great example of a virtual/real hybrid game, which have tremendous potential for educational and entertainment value.

Interesting glimpse into a possible digital future…

[thanks, Duncan Riley]

Imagine a virtual world that is identical to the real world. Virtual Sphere has developed a locomotion sphere wherein users can move through a virtual space, as they would in real life.

There’s a new Flash Internet golf game called World Golf Tour, with free, fun gameplay and good graphics. The Company recently raised a rumored several million dollars from Battery Ventures. Hopefully, this is a sign of fun times to come - I can think of a number of incredibly fun games that could be made with Flash for online distribution.

Also, in China, there was recently an underwater golfing tournament. Five players competed in a 50ft deep aquarium tank in Fuzhou. Instead of counting strokes, the winner was determined by amount of time to complete the hole.

I’ve been beta testing Joost, the Internet-TV startup founded by Skype-founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, which recently raised $45 million from Sequoia, CBS, Viacom, and Li Ka-shing. It’s essentially similar to Comcast on-demand, but through the Internet, and with comparatively terrible picture resolution, though it has vastly superior image quality to other streaming, flash-based video sites. Joost has ads that abruptly interrupt viewing, but they are relatively quick and painless compared to five or so 30 second ads every 10 minutes on television. The speed of the viewing experience is also very good, but the site currently has a very limited selection of dated offerings.

If the site offered current, HD programming, and a more vast library of offerings, and the ability to download content for re-purposing content on your other devices (ie iPod or TV connected box), in addition to fast, streaming content, that would then be a recipe for a killer app. Perhaps Joost is a baby step to that day, but until that day arrives, I think cable and satellite television is relatively safe. Joost is expected to be available to everyone by next month.

[UPDATE - Joost has signed with Creative Artists Agency to broker content deals - this is starting to get interesting!]

Emotiv Systems, based in San Francisco, has secured over $6 million in venture funding to develop technology that allows humans to interact with computer applications via thoughts. Based on the latest developments in neuro-technology, the Company claims to have developed a helmet device that can detect thoughts, feeling and expression. The Company envisions a future where machines can detect non-conscious communication, including perception, intuition and expression. Emotiv is initially focusing on the electronic gaming industry.

One of my favorite television shows growing up was “Beyond 2000″ - hopefully, Wired Science will be as good!

[UPDATE: the Wired Science website has the pilot video]

I saw the “Horny Manatee” site, an entertaining (work safe) website devoted to raising funds and awareness for the endangered Manatee, and for some reason it got me thinking about my digg meets youtube meets the infomercial idea I wrote about back in June. I think a site that featured a series of 15 second infomercials of really ugly junk hosted by a theatrical host dressed in an ugly monster costume (the costume is key) would be huge! There is a market for obscure, ugly junk (junk that is hilarious, because it’s so ugly), but the real opportunity is creating a community of visitors who go to the site for its entertainment value. It wouldn’t be hard to initially find and arbitrage ugly junk from eBay and garage sales etc., but the site could easily design its own completely ugly junk too, which is more scalable!

[UPDATE 12-26-06: NY Times article on Horny Manatee here.]

There’s a must-read article on Campfire Media, the innovative advertising shop that is pioneering branded entertainment for viral marketing campaigns, in this month’s Fast Company. Movies and television shows already offer product placement opportunities for brands (a la Ford in Casino Royale), so why not create (as Campfire is doing) more compelling and immersive (and effective) entertainment experiences that are sponsored by brands?

The experiences Campfire create could be even richer and more dynamic. Imagine participating in a game where you actually have to participate in a heist, and then evade law enforcement in an Aston Martin in a simulated car chase, for example (a video game on steroids). Simply passively watching such things happen in a movie, if such an active and real entertainment opportunity existed, would be merely an artsy experience like watching plays. For more color on this, and to read my developing vision for next-generation entertainment, click here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!