Week 2 EOC : Boston Consulting Group - Games

There are several different video game consoles out on the market today.  We have Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation # supper slim (limited Edition), Microsoft Xbox 360 E, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS, Sony PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Wii U basic set.    

Boston Consulting Group has an analysis we can use to look at the video game market.  Star is high growth with high shares.  Cash cow is low growth with high shares.  Dog is low growth with low shares and Question mark is high growth with low shares. 

“Using the now-classic Boston Consulting Group (BCG) approach, a company classifies all its SBUs according to the growthshare matrix as shown below”. 

http://outboundsso.next.ecollege.com/default/launch.ed?ssotype=VitalSource&sku=9780558851903&books=9780558851903

“Mobile games will generate more revenue than console titles in 2015, according to research specialist Newzoo”. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/23/mobile-games-revenue-overtake-consoles-2015

Sony Playstation 4 in my opinion is a cash cow.  Sony Playstation is a cash cow because it is the most valued to the public.  Nintendo Wii is a dog because it does not have alot of options for people.  . 

“The weakness stems from more consumers sitting on the sidelines and tightening their purse strings, especially as they wait for Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Corp., the maker of the PlayStation 3, to cut the prices of their consoles. Many console and PC game sales are also being cannibalized by digitally downloaded games and alternative entertainment sources like Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which offers thousands of games that can cost only 99 cents or even nothing at all”. Videogame Makers Can't Dodge Recession by YUKARI IWATANI KANE. 

Mobile gaming is a star because majority of the public has mobile.  Mobile gaming is more convenient, accessible and cheaper for consumers.

Inclosing I feel mobile is the way most people are turning to because people love be convenient.  Anything that makes life easier. 

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

I am currently a student at the Art Institute of Las Vegas working towards my bachelor degree in Photography.  I am a disabled Veteran and compete competitively as a cyclist.  I am the front guy guiding and steer the bicycle on a tandem (a two person bicycle that work together) for a blind athlete.   I am called the Pilot and the athlete on the back is called a Stoker.  We race on an indoor Velodrome, a cycling track which is typically steep banked curves.  In 2014 we won the Gold Medal in our division and received the title National World Champions for the United States Cycling Team.  Last year I traveled as far a Europe and competed with cyclist from all over the world.  While in Europe I captured some great photography as we were able to have some time to ourselves and take in some European culture.   I love to travel while being able to cycling and take sports photography at races.  I turned to cycling after I became very sick while deployed, it took control of my health internally.  Every time I turned around doctors didn’t have the answers I was looking for so I figured if I did not get on top of my heath no one else would.  When I was on my bicycle it seemed to give me a since of freedom from everything that was going on around me.  I even felt that over time it had helped improve on my attitude, sleep and overall health.  I really enjoyed being outdoors and riding for miles at a time and taking in my surroundings.  As cyclists on our rides we tend to stop and take pictures with our friends or the group we are riding with and post them and always looking for a “cool” background.   So over time I thought why could not I turn photography into a business, travel and still race, so that is what has brought me to the Art Institute.  I find great balance in my life putting them all together and still fitting my family into my lifestyle while keeping my health in check. 
 While racing I observed sport photographers taking photos during the races then later posting their shoots on wither website or the event’s website for us to view.  Some websites you could view the photo’s and easily copy and paste them and others would block you from coping the photographs but you could order and pay for the pictures.  Over the years of collecting the pictures I have uploaded from other photographers I can look back and study and angels and see how I can apply them to my sports photography and have fun with finding my own techniques, styles and angles.  I have a creative mind so I am sure that I can add a creative side to photographs or certain angle.  I have also taken classes at the Art Institute over the last year and a half to help broaden my ideas with things like photo shop.  In photo shop there are so many fun and cool features whether I want to alter the back ground or add some fun wording to the picture for a caption.   I have learned so much taking the classes that I have from the Art Institute and so many options I can explore in the photography word.  It leaves me so many options to explore and be creative with.  I find photography can be very relaxing and low key, that you can lose track of time playing around that hours can and I don’t even realize it.  I also can go into light room and there I can add to or adjust my lighting again depending what statement I want the photograph to present.  I have also taken and now taking an advanced lighten class where I use my daughter and wife as my practice models for my homework projects.   Photography has not only been fun for me to learn but I can also include my family in on the fun.  Photography along with cycling is something that my wife and daughter also can enjoy and play around with.   I also enjoy taking photographs of my daughter during her karate performances and capturing the high kicks and moves that go into their hard work.  I am always willing to share the photographs with other parents, because depending where in the room we take photographs from, the angles can differ in the poses that the kids are demonstrating.  Especially when the kids are not aware that you are focused on them, you can capture some interesting shoots.  From time to time the cycling team I ride for does certain community functions and we always post the events to our website to let other know what we volunteer for in the community.  I have since volunteered myself to take the photographs then come home and clean them up before posting the photographs to the website.  This helps relieve my brain of the everyday routine.  I like to hear the feedback when people comment on “wow that’s a really cool photograph,” how did you do that.  Sometimes it is just a matter of playing around and stumbling across a new technique and it makes for something unique.  My dad is a retired art teacher so I am sure that some of my details came from him critiquing my art work over the years.  Especially the years that he was the only art teacher in the school I was attending.  I can look back now and say it has paid off.  I really enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s cycling, camping or just a good nature hike,  it seems like over the years we have always had some style of camera.  My wife and I have always been one to take a lot of pictures to capture the moments.  We want to be able to look back and reflect on the good times the photograph represents.  I am not sure that I want to really get into shooting wedding even though they would be a great challenge, from picking the right locations, capturing the lighting.  If I would get into taking photographs at a wedding I would want to stop by the location at the time the wedding was to take place to see what challenges I might face or be up against.  I would probably like to also have an assistant that I could rely on to help me move from location to location and help with the set up to keep things moving along on that special day.  Weddings can be a very stressful day as all the time and efforts that have gone into planning My goal is to keep my photography at an enjoyable level and stress free as much as I can.  I want my photography to be a hobby I get paid for not a job that rely on the pay.  I want my business to be word of mouth.  I don’t plan on relying on advertising to market myself, I want my work to speak for itself.    I believe in giving great customer service and stunning the customer with my images.  Being a disabled veteran photograph gives me relaxing piece of mind.   

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

My great customer service experience is with a company called Blublocker.  On July 6, 2015 my daughter, Jordyn and I walked through the front door of Blublocker headquarters here in Las Vegas, NV and were greeted by a beautiful older lady carrying a little white dog.  The dog started to talk to us and wanted are affection.  The older lady later identified herself as Sherri put the little dog on the ground and my daughter started to play with it.  Sherri asked very politely, how could she assist me and how was it that I had heard of the company.  I went on explaining that I am working with sleep specialists and doctors to assist on improving my health.  My doctor has asked me to wear blue blocking glasses a few hours before I go to bed at night, to shut my cell phones and WIFI off at the same time as putting on the glasses.  I explained my background of being a police officer and a disabled vet and how my health has suffered after being deployed to war.  She continued by thanking me for both services and was willing to assist in making my health improve.  She went in the back and brought out front all the sunglasses that Blublocker makes.  Explaining each one in detail and having me try them all on.  I found two that I felt fit the best and walked outside to test them.  My daughter walked outside with me and asked to try on the pairs of glasses I had.  We walked back inside and I explained what I was observing.  My daughter gave her opinion as well.  Sherri gave my daughter and I several pairs of glasses to go home with if I would promise to take pictures while wearing them and give feedback to her on any effects of my health.  Since July 6, 2015 I have been back on three different occasions explaining how the sunglasses have affected my life and the lives of several of my friends.  I have bought 7 different pairs of Blublocker sunglasses for my friends and family to enjoy.  I thank Sherri every time for her professionalism and compassion she showed the first day and everyday that I return.