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Recently there's been chatter that Valve - the company behind the massively popular gaming service Steam - has been considering getting into the hardware business. Specifically, there have been rumors that the company has been toying with the idea of creating a proper set-top console which could potentially pose a threat to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is an interesting development. Console games have been the domain of the "Big Three" for years (XBox, Playstation, and Nintendo). Now, another player is threatening to break into the market. Steam is a digital distribution service with over 40 million active users. Users install the Steam software and then purchase and play various computer games through the Steam interface. When I was helping to develop an indie game a few years ago, it was considered a huge accomplishment to be listed on Steam. It boosted the game's exposure and user base significantly. It will be interesting to see if the console is released and how it fairs in the difficult-to-enter market.

Entertainment and casual engagement/interactivity tops the charts!

My first semester thesis in Jane's theory class was focused on Transmedia storytelling and how The Hunger Games was poised to be a successful transmedia campaign. Often mistaken for marketing ploys (which yes, some are) I predicted that this was going to happen. Needless to say Jane didn't really agree and gave me a B - however, here we are moving forward in the Hunger Game's series and oh - what's this? Immortalizing the characters and making the Hunger Games' actually come to life. I know we aren't up to Transmedia yet but I wanted to share this because transmedia storytelling is a huge topic and one that I will continuously aim to explore here at Emerson.