Ikoncity.com

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Ikoncity

Ikoncity as it was:

The client had an existing site that had the music of a few international music icons (well known music bands and singers) and a handful of casual games. The users could listen to the music of their icons while playing the games. While the music content was generated by the musicians, the games were by the client. Many of the games created by Nextwave Multimedia.

Ikoncity as it wanted to be:

The short brief from the client was to –

  • Build community features that would bring the icons and their fans closer on the same platform.
  • Develop features that would engage and involve the users in many different ways so that the content would be totally user-generated.
  • Develop the website into an engaging channel for promotion of musicians and their work, sports teams, celebrities from other fields and brands.
  • Build more casual games.
  • Make the games customizable for users to personalize.
  • Make the games customizable for users to personalize.

The Output:

  • The site is now a platform for the icons to connect with their fans, and to promote their new work, through participative features like contests, which the icons themselves can create.
  • The website now allows the users to be more participative, so that they can
    • Interact with their favorite icons
    • Develop and upload their own content, like videos, personalize existing games or upload new ones,
    • Invite friends, and those who can become icons.
  • It is a channel through which even corporates can promote their brands using techniques like contest and viral marketing. Brand custodians can create advergames for their brands, and deploy them on ikoncity.com and other sites too, using ikoncity's embed codes.
  • It is a showcase where talented users can post their creativity and wait to be accepted as an icon by other users.
  • The icons and brand owners can upload promotional videos, and display banners linked to their corporate or brand site.
  • A unique feature is an application named iMADE that allows users to personalize iMADE-enabled games. This offers game owners an additional and a great new channel to generate more revenue. Ikoncity can turn the games into iMADE. Popular iMADE games can be offered to icons for deploying them on their sites, thereby multiplying the revenue earning potentials.
  • We restructured the architecture of the website to allow it to grow and evolve beyond social networking, Ikoncity will soon have features for selling products, services and tickets for members.

Technology:

  • Such social networking features have been developed using Web 2.0 technologies (AJAX, Flash) which facilitate Client/Server balance and asynchronous communication.
  • 'iMADE', a powerful game engine, has been developed to allow users to create their own games.
  • An advanced Contests engine has also been developed with high score and playoff features.
  • Technology has been used to make the site extremely user-friendly with features like:
    • Easy import of contacts from Hotmail, AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
    • Windows services to convert multi-format video files to .flv on the fly.
  • Ikoncity has been integrated into the 'digital ecosystem' by interfacing the site's application with other social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace, and building in options to distribute Ikoncity content on other sites using an embed code.

Ikoncity goes mobile:

To reach out to the burgeoning group of mobile users and to let the online Ikoncity members stay connected while away from their computers, Nextwave has developed the mobile version of the site.

The mobile Ikoncity has all the social networking features of the full-blown online version, so that the members stay social while on the move:

  • They can let their friends know where they are and what they are up to, and also get to know the same about them.
  • Exchange messages with friends.
  • The 'ikonogram board' interface to send and read messages. A single click sends messages ('ikonograms') to all friends.
  • Post blogs.
  • Members can view their and their friends' ikoncity photo albums.
  • Through ikoncity mobile, members can not only remain in touch with their friends, but can connect with their favorite ikons too, with just one click.