Capitalogix

The New Grand Theft Auto Videogame is the Fastest-Selling Entertainment Product Ever

GTA V reached the billion-dollar revenue milestone faster than any other entertainment product in history. 

Read that again ... Not only does that make GTA the fastest game to reach that milestone, but the fastest-selling entertainment product of all time.

It took the game only three days to achieve what Avatar, no less than the most successful movie of all times, did in 17 days.

 

With an estimated production/marketing budget of $265 million, GTA V is not only the most expensive video game of all time, but also more expensive than most of today's Hollywood blockbusters.

The two highest-grossing movies in history, James Cameron's Titanic and Avatar, both took considerably longer to pull in one billion. 

For what it's worth, I think is also says something good about the economy and disposable income.

Show more statistics on the Topic of "Video Games"

Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading

Almost time for Apple to release a new phone?  My siblings made fun of me for still liking my iPhone 5.

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• How to Become a Thought Leader. (Mashable)
• Apple's Guidance Implies New iPhone in September. (AllThingsD)
• U.S. Issues Worldwide Travel Alert. (HuffingtonPost)
• The Creator of the Nike “Swoosh” Logo was Originally Paid Only $35 for the Design. (FoundOut)
• Do People Get Better Looking When the Bar is About to Close? (ScienceOfRelationships)

 

Trading Links:

• Facebook Shares Finally Get Back Up to Their $38 IPO Price. (FT)
• How Much Are the NSA and CIA Front Running Markets? (NakedCapitalism)
• For 70 Straight Days, Treasury Says Debt Stuck at Exactly $16,699,396,000,000.00. (M)
• “NASDAQ is owned.”  Five Men Charged In Largest Financial Hack Ever. (ArsTechnica)
• Time Warner Cable Drops CBS Network From Lineup. Negotiations Between the Companies Failed to Reach a Deal on Fees (Wall Street Journal)

'Ho Lee Fuk' - TV Station Pranked Into Reporting Fabricated Names Of Asiana Pilots

A San Francisco Fox affiliate, KTVU, is dealing with the fallout of a major error.

Their report on the deadly Asiana Airlines crash took a turn for the unintentionally offensive when they broadcast the names of pilots in charge of that flight. The mangled Asian-sounding names were, in fact, thinly-disguised expletives mocking the sentiments expressed by the crash victims and their families.

 
 

 

The supposed names of the crash victims broadcast on KTVU included "Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk," and "Bang Ding Ow."

A KTVU anchor later apologized for the error. She said that the names were inaccurate in spite of the fact that a National Transpiration Safety Board spokesperson confirming them.

 

Related articles

NTSB Intern Blamed for Racist Local News Gaffe

Fox affiliate KTVU apologizes for airing racist prank

The Most Honest Three Minutes In Television History? [Video]

Tragedies often sound a clarion call that get people to band together and be their best selves.  

But how long will the good behavior last?  Like exercise or showers, while it is good to do ... it is better to repeat. 

It is time to take an honest look at ourselves ... and take appropriate action.

The 3 minute video below highlights some tough issues.  The hard truth is that progress starts with honesty.

 

 

 

Do you think this painted an accurate picture of the current United States?

Related articles

Resilience and Complacency

Harvard Business: Go Ahead, Take a Failure Bow

A Hedge Fund Dogfight Mesmerizes Wall Street

Carl Icahn and William Ackman are longtime rivals.  

Last week they put on quite a show.  Alerted by the buzz of social media, the eyes of Wall Street turned to CNBC.  What they witnessed was verbal fisticuffs that could rival anything on reality TV. 

Here is the video of a spat between two hedge fund magnates with a decade-long grudge against each other.  Apparently, name-calling is fair in battles such as this.

 

 

One step above "I'm rubber and you're glue; anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you." Fun to watch if you like things like that.

Related articles

Bill Ackman's Big Hedge Fund Conference Is Coming Up - Here's How Last Year's Stock Picks Did

Buffett: Wall Street has Turned into a "Casino Game"

Beyond the Amusement Value of Icahn v. Ackman

A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL

Playoff time is usually serious for the NFL.  This is not.

It is kind of the opposite of one of those old Kung Fu movies where the dubbed words you hear aren't synched with the mouth movement. 

Here it looks like they are saying what you hear ... it's just that someone changed the words.  You could call it "So THAT'S what they were saying ..."

 

 

 via YouTube

JibJab's 2012 Year in Review Video

Oh well ... crazy how fast time flies.  Hopefully 2012 was good for you. 

Here is JibJab's take on what happened.   

 

 

 via: JibJab

 Long Live 2013.

 

Related articles

Send the Year Out with JibJab's "2011 Buh-Bye" Video

JibJab Lets You Star In Your Own Gangnam Style Video

Stand and Deliver: Jimmy Fallon and Christina Aguilera Use Office Supplies to Perform Her New Song

Here is a clip of Jimmy Fallon and Christina Aguilera using office supplies and used them as instruments to perform Christina's "Your Body."

Here is the "Instrument" list:

stapler, iPhone keypad, coffee pots with pencil drumsticks, roll of sticky tape, water cooler jug, tissue box & elastic band guitar, spiral notebook (a.k.a. the "tear snare"), keyboard washboard, paper clip shaker, and scissors.

 

 

Innovative, talented, and pretty cool.

 

The Spoof of the iPhone 5 Video is Hilarious

I was watching some of our team chat about the new iPhone 5.  They shared the link for the video and said things like "Wow, dude ... I want one so bad!"

Here is a link to Apple's official iPhone 5 promotional video.

 

 

There is also a spoof of the video.  It is very funny ... worth watching for a laugh and some perspective on how "big" the Apple brand promise has become.

 

 

 

In many ways, the spoof made me want the phone even more.

As a side-note, wouldn't it be great to design a product that was spoof-worthy?

 

As you think about what a spoof of your product or service would be, perhaps the bit of "truth" in the humor points at the real competitive advantage ... or at least towards the roadmap that leads towards creating one?

 

Related Articles

• Samsung to iPhone 5 Fans: You're Idiots! [VIDEO] (mashable.com)
• Conan O'Brien Tries to Get His Hands on the iPhone 5 (mashable.com)
• Apple Delays iPhone 5 Pre-Order Shipments Nearly a Month (mashable.com)
• Jimmy Kimmel Proves: Apple's Magic Is In The Brainwash (techcrunch.com)

A Little Monday Morning Motivation

I spent part of last week at the Inc. Magazine GROWCO Conference.

If you're not still learning ... your dying.  So, consider continuing education part of your perpetual youth plan.

Plus, there are plenty worse places to be then New Orleans ...

With that said, I know I'm getting older because after walking through the French Quarter - the part of me I most wanted rubbed were my feet. (I wish I was joking).

The first speaker was the Mayor of New Orleans.  He explained that one of the key decisions they made after Katrina wasn't to re-build the city ... instead, it was to build the city they always wanted New Orleans to be.

Bill Clinton was there, too.  He was articulate, charismatic and clever. But the star of the show (based on audience response and the rush of people to get his autograph) was Daymond John (of FUBU and Shark Tank fame).

 

 

Daymond talked about his five Shark Rules:  1. Set Goals; 2. Do your Homework; 3. Always do what you love; 4. Remember you are the brand; and 5. Keep moving.

He stressed that the secret to power is to be decisive.

He also shared that the money they invest on the Shark Tank show really comes from each of them; however, only about 20% of the deals actually get to a closing. 

Daymond said that he invests in people, not companies.  Moreover, he claims that each of Sharks know who they will invest in within the first minute of the presentation (and he suspects that is how most business-people make decisions).  Interesting.

 

Related articles

• 6 Inspirations from GrowCo (inc.com)
• Daymond John: From FUBU to Business Marketing Mogul (hubspot.com)
• Your Quick and Dirty Guide to Sharktank (blogmaverick.com)
• Daymond John: Why I Invest in People, Not Companies (inc.com)
• Ten Lessons I Learned from Shark Tank (techcrunch.com)