Customer Reviews

Playing for Profit: How Digital Entertainment is Making Big Business Out of Child's Play (Upside)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

A great example of how the hype and speculation of the late 1990's led to the bursting of the internet bubble. The book typifies the kind of thinking that got everyone into trouble: No real understanding of how technology works: No viable business model for profit; Hysterical optimism and conclusions without solid critical thinking. Anyone who had half a clue back then would have read this book and said "This is exactly what is wrong with digital entertainment today". Anyone who still believes what this book has to say is crying over his useless e-toys stock right now. Read it only if you want to better understand why things turned sour.

As a professor of business administration for adult continuing education classes in Silicon Valley, I was delighted to discover this title. Whether you are a savvy businessperson wanting to know more about the possibilities of the Internet; a Web-savvy entrepreneur; or just interested in this whole Internet phenomena(and confused by all the jargon that's out there), this is a great read. I'll be using it in my graduate seminars next academic year. What's truly amazing is how Seidner and LaPlante managed to write a book that will be relevant for some years at a time when technology and business is changing at the speed of light. Highly recommended.

This book is only bla bla... it dosnt says anything beside history and future potentials about the entertainment technologies. Nothing usefull (at least for me).

A plain-spoken and skillfully argued roadmap to the future of entertainment. Plenty of provocative assertions and predictions. I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions, but it was fun going along for the ride. Much better writing than you find in a typical biz book.

I was skeptical. I manage a radio station (talk radio, golden oldies, etc.) and, frankly, hadn't believed all the hype about the Internet. This completely changed my mind. What I really liked was that I could actually *read* it--it told a story, and a truly compelling one at that. From the early days of radio to what's going to happen in coming decades. I'm a believer. There's gonna be a revolution. The chapter on "Family Feud" (how radio broadcasters and recording labels and artists and webcasters and folks like Microsoft are all going to be battling it out in cyberspace) had me on the edge of my chair. Totally cool. Did I say that already?

Seidner and LaPlante have taken the time to clearly lay out where the Internet and entertainment are going in Playing For Profit.

Hard to believe it was written and published all within the last twelve months, yet so accurate with where the Net and music have come so far and so fast, in the ever evolving net media space.

Their easy to read, yet insightful comments make this a must read for every broadcast,webcast or wannabe Broadcast.com executive.

Bravo,

Andy Abramson Co-Host, TTALK.COM's World Technology RoundU