AfterDawn: News

Warner Bros. to open consumer research facility

With new technology and ways to deliver video being introduced at breakneck speed, one thing most entertainment executives will admit to is that nobody knows anything for sure. To date no one has been able to reach any definite conclusions about how consumers actually respond to the range of offerings from Streaming TV shows to video on game consoles. Warner Bros. has decided it's time to fill the void, and has put together a consumer research facility to find out for themselves.

Warner has put together a media Center that includes game consoles, portable media players, computers of different types, and even DirecTV. They plan to bring in consumers and give them access to content in various forms to see how they react to it. They'll be Left alone to use Video On Demand, web content, and portable media while cameras monitor their activities.



"We're not operating in a vacuum anymore because of this center," Bruce K. Rosenblum, the executive vice president in charge of the operation told CNET News.com on Thursday. "We want to get smarter and understand these technologies a bit better. Warner Bros can't just assume about the deals we do. I think it's important that Warner knows the experience."



Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 23 Feb 2008 4:14

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• 4 comments

• mspurloc

  "We're not operating in a vacuum anymore because of this center."
  
  Sorry, Warner.
  That's a crock.
  If the center is located in California, you ARE operating in a vacuum.

  23.2.2008 14:17 #1

• vinny13

  This sounds interesting... I'd like to see what happens with it...

  24.2.2008 10:35 #2

• dufas

  I would suggest that this is more of a PR and indoctrination than actual consumer research.
  
  Having participated in other such "consumer research" programs put on by the entertainment industry, I have found that if the consumer doesn't show an interest in what the industry wants, the consumer is cut from the research data base and immediately dropped from any research. Yet, if the consumer accepts the PR that the industry is subtly promoting, the consumer continues with the program thus confirming the industry's original conclusions on how to build their business model.
  
  In other words, business as usual.........the entertainment industry knows better than you how you should be entertained..

  24.2.2008 12:59 #3

• borhan9

  I guess now that the format war is over. Warner can now try to flex their muscle in new directions.

  10.4.2008 17:07 #4