


Explorers of the Impossible



7th Term
Summer 2019
Branding and Strategy
14 Week time frame




Value Proposition
Offer an Immersive Active Social gaming environment. Focusing on the telling and sharing of Stories.

the history of
Gaming
A brief summary
Spear
Throwing

70.000BC

Wrestling
15.000BC


Bull Jumping
1.500BC


Polo
500BC


Basketball

1891

Pong
1972


then there came

1996

And this is an introduction to it
Founded in 1996, Alienware has always targeted hardcore gamers. Shown by both their price point and defined aesthetic values. And for that same reason, the brand now struggles to sell to a more adult consumer, that usually prefers to either build their own computer or get a less flashy piece.
1998
2005
2009
2011
2013
Area 51 PC
Area 51-m7700
New M17
m18x
AW14










2002
Area 51-M
2006
M17
2010
m11x
2012
X51 Console
2019
Area-51m
Dell buys Alienware
Market Value
3 Billion
US Dollars
Globally in 2018
Cobler, Nicole. “For First Time, Dell Reveals Subsidiary Alienware Is a $3 Billion Business.” Statesman, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Oct. 2018, www.statesman.com/news/20181018/for-first-time-dell-reveals-subsidiary-alienware-is-3-billion-business.
Target Market Size
2.7 Billion
Gamers
Globally in 2021
Statista, Number of active video gamers worldwide from 2014 to 2021 (in millions) Jun 2019
Market Sector Size
138 Billion
US Dollars
Globally in 2021
Statista, Value of the global video games market from 2012 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars) Sep 2018
Market Sector Growth
6.5%
Annual Growth
Globally from 2014 to 2021
Statista, Number of active video gamers worldwide from 2014 to 2021 (in millions) Jun 2019






Arena Champion
Innovators
Power Hungry
Early Adopters
Fierce Enthusiasts
Early Majority
Productive Timewalkers
Late Majority
Uninterested Non-Techies
Laggards
General Takeaways
Social Connections are very important for all groups
Meaningful Stories are usually more important than specs or power
Experiences are more important than new technologies
Gaming can either enhance or completely prevent people from connecting
KEY TRENDS
DRIVERS
ADOPTION CURVE

Increasing
Interpersonal
Connections

Subscription
Services

Community
Creation

Tailored
Experiences

Natural
Interfaces

Extreme
Immersion

Brick & Mortar
Experiences

Used Centered
Storytelling
FRAMING
How might Alienware start to appeal to a more mature audience?
Brand Challenges
-
The ‘Gamer’ Stereotype
-
What gamers and non gamers have in common?
-
Develop a platform that works for both
-
How to begin telling stories instead of selling specs
-
How much connection is too much?

the year is
2040
Introducing

Explorers of the Impossible




Target Customer
A user that enjoys Immersion, meaningful Stories, and playing with friends. This can be anyone that is looking into a more Social and story-driven approach to life, having fun, and escaping along with other people.

Brand Promise
To be with friends everywhere, to play with them whenever you want, and personally interact with one another. Bringing the multiplayer to everyday life.

Market Definition
The Market would be defined as the Immersion market, being it AR, VR, or MR. However, with a Social approach to the experience, the relevance of the brand is clear whenever any kind of social interaction is needed.

Reason to Believe
People play games to find and maintain friendships, along with having fun at the same time. Alienware will enhance social play while making it more ubiquitous and seamless in the users' life.
Offer an Immersive Active Social gaming environment. Focusing on the telling and sharing of Stories.
Blue Ocean Canvas


Price
Specs
Customer Service
Community Engagement
Immersion
Multi
Player
Single Player
Story Focus
Physical Activity
Customized Experience
High
Low
Traditional Gaming Brands
Mobile Gaming
PC and Console
Brand Attibutes
VALUE PROPOSITION

Personal
Narratives
A Story that is built around the user, they play a character in the bigger game of life.

Ubiquitous
Multiplayer
Play and interact with other people around stories happening all around you.

Active
Gaming
The removal of physical limitations from traditional sports.

Natural
Immersion
The most natural interactions, in the most immersive of the worlds.

Community
Control
Open source and highly mutable, each person can contribute to the experience.

Social
Escape
Escaping the regular with old and new friends.
COSMOS
Modes
Each mode is designed for a different type of person, ranging from the most hardcore gamers to people that don't understand what gaming is.

Story
MODE

Adventure
MODE

Sport
MODE

Story Mode
In this mode, the user is immersed in a story. From romantic comedies to psychological thrillers, these are short narratives that play out in front of the person or people watching it.
-
Focused on experiencing narratives and stories.
-
Appealing stories are chosen with the help of Big Data and entertainment patterns.
-
Narratives adapt to location, the same story can be different depending on where it is played at.
-
Stories are made by the community
Simple Interface Wireframe




Adventure Mode
Experience the most fantastical adventures, be an undercover cyberpunk cop or a magic casting wizard, this mode takes imagination into the real world, other people are able to see your adventure, just like it is really happening.
-
Most Immersive and interactive of the Modes.
-
Inspired by Tabletop Role-Playing Games.
-
Meant to be played socially with friends or other people.
-
The Dungeon Master can be anyone, therefore stories can be imagined by users.
Simple Interface Wireframe




Sport Mode
This mode creates and changes sports as we know it. Using the physical basis of any traditional sport and adding interesting elements on top of it. Think soccer, but the ball is on fire... and explodes things.
-
Targets people that are not familiar with video games.
-
Removes physical limitations from sports.
-
Based on Physical + Virtual Interactions
-
Community driven set of rules and games.
Simple Interface Wireframe



Now, how would those experiences turn into reality?
This is where the Portals come in.
COSMOS
Portals
The tools that transports the user into the fantastical worlds of Cosmos, using 4 senses to provide a complete sense of immersion.

Visual
Portal
The Glasses offer a familiar way to experience new stories. Working as an Mixed Reality projector it creates images of objects and characters that are not there.
For a more seamless experience, contact lenses are also an options, these are self cleaning and, when put in their case, they charge get renewed for the next day.
Lightweight and
Characteristic Frames


Auditory
Portal
Bone induction headphones enable virtual sounds to be seamlessly mixed with outside sounds.
Their Wireless capability provides an experience free of hassle.
Tactile Textured
Interface
Secure Ear Lock
Tactile
Portal
A textured ring that works both as a tactile feedback device and Menu starter.
Made available in several different metals and finishes for all fashion tastes.
Temperature Simulations
and simple Vibrations.

Olfactory
Portal
The necklace houses several different kinds of basic scents that, when combined can generate a plethora of smells for the most varied stories.
It can also control the temperature in which those smells come out, enhancing the immersion.

Action
Tool
Transforms itself into any weapon or tool necessary in Adventure mode.
A physical indication light can indicate the virtual function.
A retractable trigger improves its flexibility when using guns versus swords for example.

Story
Book
The story book is a small portal with virtual pages that displays an assortment of stories and narratives.
It houses key information and translates that into interesting and tailored stories.
At a pocket-able size, the book fits inside of any pocket, purse or bag.


Pop Up
Experience
The Pop up store will be the way in which new users will be able to find out about what the Cosmos environment is, and test it, since the best way to know how it feels is actually experiencing it.



Meant to be built at big parks and open areas, the store is divided into the three Cosmos Environments, each with their own experience demo and playing area.

PROCESS
Research Summary
Insights
Social Interaction is the common thread between gamers and non-gamers
Good Stories are the most important aspect to engagement
The gaming stigma is broken if the game is physical (aka sports)
VR does not look awkward if everyone can see and interact with it
Opportunities
Develop a Gaming (or entertainment) platform that focuses on social interaction.
Create a community-based (never ending) and immersive storytelling platform.
Connect the freedom of digital games to the physicality of sports.
Shared Mixed reality environments, everyone sees the same things.

Visual Brand Language
Shape

The concept of two forms that envelop around each other, with some areas being revealed, and others hidden.
Proportion

A generally elongated set
of dimensions, where one
dimension is usually much
bigger than the other one.
Texture

An irregular tactile ribbing
texture is applied to all
products for touch-ability
indication and visual
language consistency.

How the Modes work
A 3 minute animatics video showcasing how the Cosmo Modes work.
