C|Net is reprinting a New York Times article on Volvo’s new videogame (or more accurately – “advergame”) for the XBox: “Volvo Drive for Life“. My first reaction is probably what most gamers will do… roll my eyes. However, considering it’s free and only intended to introduce potential customers to their brand, maybe it’ll work. There’s plenty of non-videogame playing adults with access to a console (good way to force lil’ Johnny off the box and make him do his homework; “Sorry son, your mother and I are still considering buying a new car… homework done?”).

Beyond the targeted application though, it occurs to me that Volvo may have the makings of an underground hit on their hands. A “hit”, that is, with Driver’s Education programs. What better time to differentiate the brand with their “safety” message than when potential customers are feeling most vulnerable? And what better time to sell the brand than when people are becoming newly-minted drivers? Further, if it’s on the XBox, a PC version can’t be far behind (as the XBox is so closely-related to Windows). I’ll be interested in hearing if this is what eventually happens. It’d certainly be a clever (if sneaky) tactic.

Although this article over on BusinessWeek appeared to me from the headline caption to be focused on marketing, it’s most definitely about design and innovation and is a nice read. From the report:

Beyond apparel, 3iYing is working with Smart Design, an industrial-design firm perhaps best known for its work on the OXO International line of household products.

In its 10 months, Dangelmaier’s young team has come up with radical ideas on how to design and sell everything from condoms and lingerie to food.

Such insights are invaluable to people like Smart Design’s Cuello. “These young girls are tackling serious subjects like feminine products, which have been traditionally designed and marketed by men at big corporations — [men] who don’t have a clue to the emotional needs of the customer,” says Cuello.

Sounds like 3iYing has their act together. But now in an effort to be “fair and balanced”, I have to say that my experience when our team hired Smart Design about five years ago wasn’t worth writing about. One thing for sure though: they appear to have hooked up with an excellent partner. Have to give them credit for that.

I’d gotten a head’s up from Jerry Paffendorf, one of the cogs over at the Accelerating Studies Foundation, that an article including some of his comments about Second Life was coming from the people at Information Week, and here it is. It’s a nice little three page piece discussing Democracy Island, other projects (some I’ve previously mentioned) and some of the people behind them. If you’re interested in an article about immersive 3D technology that isn’t about videogames, give it a read.

As I’m currently working on a design project that involves a low tech and fairly mundane product, coming across this Philips press release website was a nice find. I wasn’t aware of (or just forgot all about) Philips’ official “Simplicity Event“. And some of the product concepts they’re putting on display are a nice reminder to not fall too deeply into the trap of believing that because something has been around for decades, there isn’t something new and innovative which can still be introduced. The above image, and the one over on Inhabitat where I found the link, are nice examples. Check out the Philips site for some more concepts (and no smirking over those Senseo sales award pics).

{Image Copyright © 2005 Philips}

At least that’s the word Sony Online Entertainment’s John Smedley used when describing the business model behind their forthcoming free MMORPG (see this earlier post for additional info). There’s discussion of that and more in BusinessWeek’s replay of a GameDAILY BIZ article which you can find here.

There are some interesting comments that make this well worth the read. One example from the piece:

For us, we’re exploring the concept of a truly free game, a game without a retail component at all, that would have an executable small enough for people to literally email to each other.

Small enough to email. Sweet.