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….and we’re back! Last year saw the gaming industry grow in unexpected ways, from social gaming to the rise of digital distribution. 2011 looks to be another year of innovation, business development, and, of course, great games. That said, this issue of PLAYED takes 2011 to task, asking both how and where we’ll all be gaming over the next year, while also recapping and prognosticating about the ever-shifting social gaming space. Also, since the year is getting off to a splendid start for blockbuster titles, we look at how gamers are utilizing unique and innovative ways to try games before plunking down their hard-earned cash well beyond the video store shelf.

As this was my first trip to CES, I was overwhelmed by many of the advancements and products displayed: GE’s Nucleus is an innovative tool that gives consumers the power to control their electricity consumption, Samsung’s newest refrigerator includes a screen where families can plan meals and calendars, and Sony’s glasses-free 3D TV is a step in the right direction to making 3D TV a more applicable part of everyday life. As intriguing as all of the displays were, I couldn’t help being under-whelmed by the lack of mobile opportunities to further connect with brands and products during the show.

Over the course of this week, a few Denuologists will be posting their impressions from CES. Here is the next take on the show:

As I recovered from the sensory overload that is CES, I was surprised by my conclusion from this year’s exhibition. Unlike past years where I left with glossed over eyes from some amazing innovation that I didn’t understand or know how my life ever existed without, I found myself spending more time with those displays that were simple and actually practical thanks to my familiarity with an pre-existing concept.

Co-authored with @bbhlabs, we identified 3 key trends at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and what they mean for marketers:

• TV’s 3rd dimension is actually sociability
• Syncing is giving way to sharing
• Narcissism isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged

Media Daily News featured the article, which can be found here.

Over the course of this week, a few Denuologists will be posting their impressions from CES. Here is the first with more to follow:

Last week was my first time at CES and now I understand why Apple doesn’t show up here. Don’t get me wrong: the inexorable onward march of technology is impressive. Incremental gains are being made every year in processing power, graphic quality, and size. But put it all together under a single convention center roof and much of it just feels desperate; companies urgently trying to get your attention to tout the fact that the 2 inch paper-thin display from last year is now down to 1.2 inches. The 3DTV displays go on for miles, showing you what every form of content looks like in 3D (Documentaries! Cooking shows!). Most of the booths seemed to have an implicit sign hanging over them reading “WE NEED YOUR MONEY”. It reminded me that for every breakthrough we embrace, whether it be CDs, HDTV, or MP3 players, there is a pile of innovations where the public collectively shrugged its shoulders (Laserdisc anyone?).