In an enigmatic turn of events, Social networking site hi5 hired pioneer video gaming veteran Alex St. John. This anticipative move reflects hi5’s intentions to transform its site into a social entertainment hub. John would be the new president and chief technology officer of the company. He would be responsible for its product development, technology, network operations and audience acquisition. He has been one of the pioneers in Microsoft’s efforts in computing and evolution of XBox gaming. More recently, St. John founded the online gaming company WildTangent. St. John inclusion in the management could make a big difference for hi5.

Most of hi5 fans must be eager to know, what’s going on with their site.  hi5 thrives with 60 million of its own registered users. Developing games especially for them (complete with in-game ads and virtual goods) makes smart business sense.

Let’s take a pick at St.John’s plans about hi5 as provided to VentureBeat

hi5 thrives with 60 million of its own registered users. St. John acknowledged in an interview that hi5 needs to prove it can be more competitive in the social gaming market against the likes of Facebook and its game publishers like Zynga. But he said that the social gaming market isn’t locked up; rather, he said, it is just beginning…. [I]n today’s market it will be easier to use the large audience and platform of hi5 to grow a social games and entertainment business.

To dig further into the matter we need to go through the excepts of the press release by Hi5

St. John led several key revenue innovations at WildTangent, including a highly successful virtual currency, WildCoins, used for microcurrency transactions, and an advertising partnership with WPP to sell sponsored microcurrency to Fortune 500 brands.

Hi5 has already embellished its site with a virtual currency, a games portal, chat and avatars for users. It’s only matter of time before hi5 would realize St. John’s impact on their business.

Source:  VentureBeat

 

Televisa, the world’s leading producer of Spanish-language content, has teamed with social network hi5 to launch an online video service aimed at boosting Web users across Latin America.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The new Web channel, due to launch in the summer, will not be available for U.S. users, Televisa said on Wednesday. The company is in a legal battle with partner Univision [UVN.UL] that has prevented it from using its content on websites in the United States. The case is expected to go to court in June.

Televisa (TLVACPO.MX) (TV.N) will use its vast video archives, which include blockbuster soap operas and comedy shows, to feed the new channel.

 

Fogell: I got a boner!

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Francis the Driver: I’m gonna be totally honest with you. I have a warrant out for a totally nonviolent crime. Okay? There. Mercy Street, guys.
Seth: Well, I’ll be honest with you for a second.

Francis the Driver: Okay.
Seth: You better get us a shitload of cash or a shitload of alcohol or you’re going to fucking prison.
Evan: What are you doing, man? That’s - You don’t need to…
Francis the Driver: Okay.
Evan: No, let’s not - Let’s hang on a second here.
Seth: Cough it up.
Francis the Driver: Fine.
Evan: I don’t know if we should be doing anything too official.
Francis the Driver: Let’s work together. We’re working together. It’s like Let’s Make a Deal. Here we go.
Seth: Seven bucks? Are you fucking serious? This isn’t enough for anything. What are you, a 6-year-old?
Francis the Driver: It’s all I have, man. That’s all I have.
Seth: Well, you better think of something quickly, alright? Ah, my back!
Francis the Driver: No, no, no, no, no. Wait.
Seth: My back! Cops, my back.
Francis the Driver: Wait, don’t do that. Alright, listen. I can get you alcohol. I’m going to this party right now, bro. Okay? It’s got booze, it’s got girls. Booze and girls equals… I don’t know. Do you? I don’t know. Do you? I think you do. Do you?

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Fogell: Yo guys! Sup?
Seth: Fogell, where have you been, man? You almost gave me a goddamn heart attack. Let me see it. Did you pussy out or what?
Fogell: No noooo, man. I got it; it is flawless. Check it!
Evan: [examining the fake ID] Hawaii. All right, that’s good. That’s hard to trace, I guess. Wait… you changed your name to… McLovin?
Fogell: Yeah.

Social network users are much heavier consumers of digital content including SMS, mobile email, photos, music, games and mobile TV than mobile phone service subscribers.

The revelation comes from recent research published by industry analyst ABI Research which canvassed 1,000 mobile subscribers and just over 500 social network mobile subscribers in the US.

Three quarters of the latter group were aged between 18 and 30, and were twice as likely to own a smartphone as their non-networked equivalents.

“The fact that online social networkers consume more mobile content and media than mobile subscribers who are not into online networking may not be really surprising,” said principal analyst Nick Holland.

“However, what we have long suspected is confirmed by the numbers: for most kinds of mobile content, online social networkers consume about twice as much as their non-networked peers.”

The driving force behind online social networkers’ consumption of mobile media is that they are on average younger and more tech-savvy.

Also, many social networks are organised around a specific media-related interest such as photography or music.

“Advertising on social networks is not working particularly well, so promotion of mobile content on online social network sites should be a high priority for mobile operators, content distributors, media companies and advertisers,” said Holland.