Also if no one else has mentioned it I would also say anonymous Vs Scientology was a pretty big deal this year sparking (continuing) real life protests and features on various news sites and even Night line.
Anonymous vs. Scientology was the real-world equivalent of the Aliens Vs. Predator tagline "Whoever wins...we lose".
Well if we are going for the TV online thing I'd say keep it broad rather than narrow, that way you can include stuff like BBC's Iplayer (pretty dammed amazing - being able to legally watch say Heroes Series III free, online, the same day for legals). Focusing on Hulu would be a "Internet Event of the Year for Americans" prize winner.
I think this was the year that downloading TV on the internet went mainstream. I mean, I've been doing it for years, but this year I noticed the olds and people I wouldn't normally consider internet savvy downloading the latest Gossip Girl or whatever.
Throw in Hulu and the BBC's player, and even something like Netflix on xbox and you have your theme.
Definitely, even my parents have learned how to use Netflix on the 360...and they're in their 50's and 60's. Techphobic to the max but I'll be damned if they don't love instant gratification.
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
I never heard of this "Limbo of the Lost" thing. After looking at that wiki and the dozens of comparison shots they have, it's really hard to believe something like that could even happen. Unbelievable.
In any case, I'm torn between the two major candidates we have so far, Twitter and Internet TV. Though I don't think Twitter will have much of a long term effect on how we do things online, it's hard to deny how popular it has been in mainstream culture this year. I've seen tons of news stories and articles about it, and the Obama thing obviously makes it even more relevant. On the other hand, I really do believe sites like Hulu will become extremely important and will certainly change the way Television is watched in the future, even if it hasn't had as much exposure in the media. So I guess my vote goes to Twitter, but Legal Online Television will certainly be at the top in the next year or two.
Although truthfully, my heart belongs to the Crane Operator.
I think 2008 has just seen the beginning of this. Having Netflix on my Xbox 360 makes me very happy. If Netflix could get their act together and build up a much better catalog of "watch now" material it could singlehandedly destroy the DVD market. I think this may be on the list for 2009.
El Guaco on
0
Options
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
Also, though this isn't really an "internet" event, I feel compelled to mention the explosive rise in popularity of Netbooks over the last year.
I forgot about that one, it even made it to the mothers who work in the call center at my office. That one has got to count, especially because it was so popular with non tech people. They were going crazy over it every day during it's peak.
It's a webcam pointed at a whole bunch of adorable puppies.
And it was a MASSIVE hit with non internet folks. Mothers, grandmothers, girls.. all the people who don't give a crap about Twitter or Hulu or any of that were going crazy over puppy cam. If it has spyware or something hidden in it there would have been a world wide epidemic because all the people who know nothing about spyware or malware were at that site every day.
On November 14, 2008, NBC Nightly News broadcast a live feed of the camera to its national TV audience.[5] On November 15, 2008 The Today Show interviewed the founders of Ustream about the puppies.[6] On November 18, 2008, CNN coverage played several clips from the feed.[7] Bill O'Reilly used footage from the camera as representative of the overall trend of popular animal videos on the Internet.[8] Other major networks, including MSNBC and ABC, have also broadcast the feed. The puppies have been featured in magazines including Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and online sites like boingboing and Gawker.
It's a webcam pointed at a whole bunch of adorable puppies.
Awwwwwww...he's sleeping.
This is the most [strike]horrible[/strike] cute thing ever.
e: And holy shit, a little over 2400 people are watching it RIGHT NOW. That's amazing.
meatflower on
0
Options
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
The puppy cam was kind of short-lived though, and has already lost much of the popularity it had. I don't know if I'd call it an "event" or a "phenomenon" really. It certainly won't have any long-lasting effects like Hulu or Twitter might.
The puppy cam was kind of short-lived though, and has already lost much of the popularity it had. I don't know if I'd call it an "event" or a "phenomenon" really. It certainly won't have any long-lasting effects like Hulu or Twitter might.
Three of the six puppies have been sold. The effects are already fading :-p
X Pr3dat0R X on
0
Options
EvilBadmanDO NOT TRUST THIS MANRegistered Userregular
The puppy cam was kind of short-lived though, and has already lost much of the popularity it had. I don't know if I'd call it an "event" or a "phenomenon" really. It certainly won't have any long-lasting effects like Hulu or Twitter might.
Three of the six puppies have been sold. The effects are already fading :-p
Sold? Damn, they must've gotten $Texas for 'em. It's genius really...
1. Get some puppies.
2. Point a webcam at them.
3. Virally spread it through the tubes.
4. Sell the puppies.
5. PROFIT!
After having time to think, yeah, legal internet 'proper' TV is the 'event' of '2008'.
Hulu/iplayer/Dr. Horrible all fit under that.
All the major UK broadcasters have on demand services now, and a lot of people use them. A landmark in the convergance of the TV and the Computer.
Now all we need to work out is how to make this into a useful global service or a global marketplace. I'd love to be able to buy access to Iplayer/Hulu from outside their domestic markets, but I guess this is still in either the too hard or working on it basket
Posts
Definitely, even my parents have learned how to use Netflix on the 360...and they're in their 50's and 60's. Techphobic to the max but I'll be damned if they don't love instant gratification.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
In any case, I'm torn between the two major candidates we have so far, Twitter and Internet TV. Though I don't think Twitter will have much of a long term effect on how we do things online, it's hard to deny how popular it has been in mainstream culture this year. I've seen tons of news stories and articles about it, and the Obama thing obviously makes it even more relevant. On the other hand, I really do believe sites like Hulu will become extremely important and will certainly change the way Television is watched in the future, even if it hasn't had as much exposure in the media. So I guess my vote goes to Twitter, but Legal Online Television will certainly be at the top in the next year or two.
Although truthfully, my heart belongs to the Crane Operator.
Edit - It occurs to me that some people may have never read the Crane Operator saga, and those people should check out this thread, as well as our fully fleshed out Crane Operator dialogue tree here.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
Like Limbo of the Lost or Piicron, even the "hardcore" out there probably have no idea what either of those are.
I think 2008 has just seen the beginning of this. Having Netflix on my Xbox 360 makes me very happy. If Netflix could get their act together and build up a much better catalog of "watch now" material it could singlehandedly destroy the DVD market. I think this may be on the list for 2009.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
Piicron was flashed all over the place! Ridiculed universally, obviously. The Piicron guys actually went to gaming forums and posted advertisements.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Fair enough. I missed Limbo when it first appeared.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
I forgot about that one, it even made it to the mothers who work in the call center at my office. That one has got to count, especially because it was so popular with non tech people. They were going crazy over it every day during it's peak.
I KISS YOU!
It's a webcam pointed at a whole bunch of adorable puppies.
And it was a MASSIVE hit with non internet folks. Mothers, grandmothers, girls.. all the people who don't give a crap about Twitter or Hulu or any of that were going crazy over puppy cam. If it has spyware or something hidden in it there would have been a world wide epidemic because all the people who know nothing about spyware or malware were at that site every day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_Cam
Fucking everywhere.
I KISS YOU!
Awwwwwww...he's sleeping.
This is the most [strike]horrible[/strike] cute thing ever.
e: And holy shit, a little over 2400 people are watching it RIGHT NOW. That's amazing.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
"Leave Britney Alone!" got pretty big for a while, too
Three of the six puppies have been sold. The effects are already fading :-p
Really?
Wow. Maybe I should stop drinking...
Sold? Damn, they must've gotten $Texas for 'em. It's genius really...
1. Get some puppies.
2. Point a webcam at them.
3. Virally spread it through the tubes.
4. Sell the puppies.
5. PROFIT!
That's right, I solved the second to last step.
Hulu/iplayer/Dr. Horrible all fit under that.
All the major UK broadcasters have on demand services now, and a lot of people use them. A landmark in the convergance of the TV and the Computer.
Now all we need to work out is how to make this into a useful global service or a global marketplace. I'd love to be able to buy access to Iplayer/Hulu from outside their domestic markets, but I guess this is still in either the too hard or working on it basket
that thing was hiliarious
DENIS DYACK WAS RIGHT! THE ONE CONSOLE FUTURE IS HERE!
/blankcheck
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.