Interactive TV industry veteran, Jonathan Boltax, is VP of programming and service management at PixelPlay, the interactive TV games and portals company that was formed last year from the merger of Pixel Technologies and PlayTV. Boltax, the recipient of a 2005 [itvt] Award for Leadership in Interactive Television, was previously director of ITV development and digital product management at Cablevision, where, among other things, he managed and negotiated business deals for the MSO’s interactive TV games service, iO Games; the role saw him producing and managing the first-ever subscription and play-per-day ITV gaming services offered by a US cable operator. Prior to his stint at Cablevision, Boltax spent five years as director of NBC’s Enhanced Broadcast Group, where he was responsible for managing the production of the broadcast network’s first enhanced TV program, "The 1996 Summer Olympics from Atlanta."
Boltax recently spoke to [itvt]’s Tracy Swedlow about his new role at PixelPlay, about an interactive TV service the company is developing that is based on the high-profile World Poker Tour brand, about the company’s view of the future of the ITV industry, about its upcoming announcements, and more.
[itvt]: You recently joined PixelPlay. What are your responsibilities at that company?
Boltax: My responsibilities at PixelPlay include, on the programming side, serving as a liaison to North American cable and satellite operators. On the service management side, I am responsible for many of the services that we’re deploying with the cable and satellite operators. I am specifically focused on a service that we will be launching in the coming month with a major US operator.
Some examples of my responsibilities include: if we are to launch a games service on a platform, I would be responsible for managing the service team that runs the day-to-day application development, marketing, concept, licensing and design…really soup-to-nuts. It’s very similar to what I previously did at Cablevision. At Cablevision, I was responsible for the creation and, ultimately, the implementation and then the day-to-day management of iO Games, which was the first subscription games service offered by a cable operator in the US.
[itvt]: Now, while most people think of PixelPlay as a games developer, the company actually does a lot more than that, correct?
Boltax: Yes. Creating games is certainly a very important part of what we do, though. We think we’re in a unique position in the interactive TV games space, as we have exclusive licenses for many meaningful brands and games. For example, we have exclusive ITV licenses for games such as Boggle, Scrabble, Yahtzee, and Monopoly. We also have exclusive licenses for well-known Atari games, like Asteroids, Centipede and Missile Command. Furthermore, we have a worldwide exclusive ITV license for the World Poker Tour. And this is only part of our list.
But we are also a company that develops ITV portals, as well as managed ITV services and ITV games services. We are in the midst of developing a number of ITV portals for major networks here in the US, which we will announce at a later time. As you know, we created the Olympics ITV application for DISH Network. And what we’re doing with the World Poker Tour is not only a game, but really a whole ITV World Poker Experience that includes tutorials and tips and video, as well as one-player, two-player and multiplayer games.
We also realize that it’s not just about content, it’s also about community. Games services are about events, prizing, tournaments, etc. We are able to distinguish ourselves from our competitors through our robust JIVE platform, which is patented and proprietary. This deployed platform is the backend to many of our services and is not just ITV-focused, but it is a cross-platform solution, providing a unified consumer experience across all distribution platforms.
We strongly believe that entertainment really needs to be distributed. Consumers are interacting and entertaining themselves through distributed media and PixelPlay has been preaching that this will happen for many years. Therefore, we cannot be just an ITV company–although that is obviously a lot of what we do. We need to be and are highly proficient on both broadband and mobile platforms, and our JIVE technology allows us to do this.
[itvt]: What would you say is your strongest proposition–products for set-top boxes, broadband, mobile or what?
Boltax: I’d say our strongest, by far, is the integration of the three of them. It’s our ability to create a multiplatform, multi-device environment, using our experience on the backend with our JIVE technology, our experience on the frontend with design and development, and our experience in the management of services. We have an industry-veteran management team that includes people like Ron Chaimowitz, who co-founded GT Interactive, and Ramy Weitz, who has founded companies bought by the likes of Take-Two. I should also add that we have actually deployed true multiplatform interactivity using our JIVE technology.
[itvt]: Where are you offering applications cross-platform?
Boltax: In Israel, our JIVE technology is enabling customers of the HOT cable consortium and CellCom mobile subscribers to play games like chess against one other on interactive TV, mobile and broadband, with common leaderboards. That’s the only true cross-platform service we have out there today. However, we have a number of pilot projects in North America, which will result in us offering other cross-platform services very soon.
[itvt]: PixelPlay recently built a service for EchoStar called NBC Olympics Showcase. Could you talk a little about that application?
Boltax: The application allowed you to view up-to-the-minute medal counts, athlete biographies, Team USA reports, and other Olympics-relevant information. What was nice about this application was that we were delivering data–such as the medal counts and the Team USA reports–in real time.
We see this type of service as another small step in the process of networks getting more and more comfortable with interactive TV. Ultimately, we see services such as this being highly integrated and offered simultaneously across interactive TV, broadband and mobile.
[itvt]: PixelPlay has a long-standing relationship with EchoStar, doesn’t it? You also provide them with your KidsWise offering, which is a subscription-based edutainment service that’s based on Learning Company properties such as Reader Rabbit, correct?
Boltax: Yes. EchoStar is truly a great partner of ours. They recently named us "Game Developer of the Year." This is the third year in a row that they’ve given us that honor, and it’s a fairly large field that we’re up against. EchoStar’s DISH Network is really one of the true innovators in the interactive TV field today: they’re currently offering more than 20 ITV channels, including games, sports, news, shopping, and customer support. Scott Higgins at EchoStar is a true visionary in this field and we are very fortunate to work with him and his amazing team. Anytime you see an innovator in the ITV space, PixelPlay is usually very closely joined at the hip with them. Our projects with EchoStar include, as you mentioned, KidsWise and the Olympics application, as well as sales management tools. There are a number of other projects we are working on that we’ll be announcing shortly, that we think are real game-changers in the ITV space.
[itvt]: Judging from the NCTA National Show, I got the impression that the cable operators are really starting to take interactive TV gaming seriously. Do you agree?
Boltax: From your mouth to the operators’ ears.… But, yes, I think you’re right. The operators are starting to see the value of interactive TV in general–maybe first and foremost from the perspective of games. There’s a lot of value outside of games as well, which is why games are really just a part of what we do. However, ITV games and games services can generate revenue today, reduce churn, hit a very important demographic–woman, families and children–and really help viewers to understand the value of interacting on their televisions.
When you get revenue potential plus viewer approval, I think you’re mixing a really wonderful cocktail. The operators are just starting to get their heads wrapped around that. We’re very bullish that you’ll begin to see a lot of movement in this space both this year and next. We are 100% confident that as soon as the operators see the results of their initial deployments, they’ll realize how valuable interactive TV games are, and that the momentum will only continue.
[itvt]: You mentioned earlier that you have a world-exclusive interactive TV license for the World Poker Tour brand. Will you be deploying a World Poker Tour ITV service this year?
Boltax: We are in active conversations for deployment of this product this year. We’re very bullish that it will happen this year in both North America and in Europe.
[itvt]: Will the service be tied with the TV series?
Boltax: Currently, the World Poker Tour ITV application that we’re creating is a standalone app that is very closely tied to the spirit of the show–but it won’t be a play-along experience.
[itvt]: Will the application be offered in your deployed games portals?
Boltax: The service could be in one of our games services and could also be deployed as a standalone service or a virtual channel. The reason for this is that if you look at what we are creating with the World Poker Tour, it’s not just a game, but an experience. It’s a wonderful brand with a wonderful following. So we really feel that we’re going to bring poker to a whole new level and give poker fans a whole new way to experience the WPT brand.
[itvt]: Now, your deal with World Poker Tour sees you developing two single-player Texas Hold’em games, and a multiplayer Texas Hold’em game, correct?
Boltax: What we’re developing will have many different components, and which of those components gets deployed will really depend on what the operator is interested in. But yes, there is a multiplayer component, and a single-player component, where you can play against a bot. We’ve licensed the bot from the Poker Academy, which has been developing this engine for the past 10 years. It’s the most sophisticated Texas Hold’em engine out there: it learns how you play and adjusts accordingly. The multiplayer version, meanwhile, will allow you to choose other players and invite them join your table.
Within the single-player version, you’ll be able to play very much like the way the show is set up–through episodes. You’d progress from Episode 1 to Episode 12. Then when you got to Episode 12, the tables would get much, much harder. We’ll also provide tutorials that show you what to do and how to play properly. There are wonderful videos from the World Poker Tour that give people an inside scoop on what to do in certain situations, and we’ll be incorporating those into the experience. So what we’re working on is a full-featured experience that I think is really going to show the power of ITV.
[itvt]: Which operators have you deployed services with so far?
Boltax: In the US, we’re deployed on Cablevision’s iO games service. We have our Hits Game Pak deployed, which is $4.95 per month, and a slew of play-per-day games, including Asteroids, Centipede, Pile Up, Chains and Sudoku. Our edutainment channel, KidsWise, is deployed on EchoStar, as we just discussed. One side note about KidsWise is that we have a companion Web site for it, KidsWise.net. The traffic on KidsWise.net–and the site is only promoted through our interactive TV service–is quite significant. I think the success of the site–this ability to drive people from one medium to another–helps us prove the efficacy of this whole cross-platform model that we’re pursuing. By the way, we will also be announcing two other really major deployments with EchoStar within the next six months.
In Canada, we’ve launched the KidsWise service both in English and French on Bell ExpressVu. We also have a slew of branded play-per-day games on that platform. In South Africa, we’ve launched the KidsWise service on MultiChoice, which is that country’s largest satellite TV operator. We have also launched a number of our branded play-per-day games with them and we hope to do a number of other interesting projects with them. Finally, In Israel, we are both on HOT, as I mentioned, and on the YES satellite service. PixelPlay’s subscription-based GoGo ITV games channels have been a great success for us in Israel. The GoGo family of channels began with the launch of GoGo Club, which was the world’s first subscription-based multiplayer and cross-platform dedicated games channel, and continued with the launch of the Vegas channel which targets an adult audience. On both HOT and YES, we also have play-per-day games, including a licensed version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." And, as I mentioned earlier, we offer cross-platform gaming on HOT.
[itvt]: What kinds of games does GoGo Club offer?
Boltax: Casual games like checkers, chess and backgammon, trivia, and a great game called "Taki," which is very similar to Uno. There have also been a lot of synergies with content companies in Israel, such as the Israeli versions of the History Channel and Nickelodeon. We’ve been working with them and with other major content players to create very nice branded games for the channel.
One of the interesting things about GoGo is that it’s operated like a television network–it also seems to garner the same kind of recognition in Israel as a television network. Its trivia games, for example, have video running in the background, so it feels as if it’s an actual channel. I think what they’re doing there is a model that we need to bring to other markets. Ultimately, I think it’s better to think less in terms of interactive TV games "services," and instead to adopt a television mindset. After all, this content is on television, so you need to remember that and treat it that way. If you do, I am confident that you will have a much better chance of being successful.
[itvt]: One way that interactive TV services in the UK, for example, have adopted a TV mindset is by having live presenters. Does GoGo do anything like that?
Boltax: Yes. We have a comedian named Avi Greinik who comes on and introduces the latest and greatest about the service. He has a true presence, and he really helps give the service an identity.
[itvt]: Do you have any deployments in the UK?
Boltax: We did develop the first multiplayer game for BSkyB, which was a darts game. That was launched through a partnership with PlayJam. It was the first multiplayer ITV game ever deployed and a great success. Following the multiplayer Darts launch, we launched a multiplayer soccer game as well. Our current plans for the UK market are to deploy a World Poker Tour Texas Hold’em game later this year.
[itvt]: How much of your development work is done in-house and how much is farmed out?
Boltax: Today we do 99% of our work in-house. There were some times over the years when there was some overflow. However, for the most part, we are very much our own production house. I can honestly say that our in-house team is some of the best engineers, project managers and developers that I have ever worked with. Furthermore, anyone who has ever worked with us can attest that our documentation and dedication is bar none.
[itvt]: Could you talk a little about JIVE, the engine that drives your games. What does it do now, and what will its next generation look like?
Boltax: PixelPlay’s JIVE platform is a complete solution for the creation and management of live "connected" games services and dynamic interactive TV services. The first generation of JIVE supported user management, leaderboards, multiplayer functionality and portal management. Our main focus in the development of the next generation of JIVE is in two paths. The first path relates to enhancing the existing service management components by enhancement of content management, advertising management, scheduling, prizing and service management. The other path relates to enhancing the connected games infrastructure by supporting advanced ranking systems along with tokens and/or cash accounts within a variety of advanced lobby structures.
[itvt]: What is PixelPlay doing to prepare for the deployment of OCAP by US cable operators?
Boltax: PixelPlay has finished porting the licensed versions of Blue Planet’s Tetris and Atari’s Asteroids to the OCAP middleware, and has tested these games on all major-vendor digital set-top boxes at the CableLabs OCAP Interops. To date, we have successfully run our games on a cornucopia of hardware platforms including ADB (which is used for development with the Osmosys SDK), LG (who asked to demo our games at CES), Scientific-Atlanta, Motorola, Panasonic, Pioneer, Pace, Samsung and Sony. PixelPlay’s JIVE SDK has supported J2ME for many years, and it will be the basis for a fast and straightforward transition to the OnRamp version of the JIVE client.
[itvt]: In what direction does PixelPlay see the interactive TV industry going?
Boltax: As we all know, the world of media is rapidly evolving, and becoming a multiplatform world. That’s really where all our energies need to be focused. I think being able to offer a service–whether it’s a games service or a virtual channel–just on one platform is nearsighted in today’s world. There’s no reason why someone has to have a solely mobile, broadband or ITV experience. They should really all be shared.
We want to focus on working with companies who realize this reality and on continuing to evolve our technology, in order to really interlink those platforms in meaningful ways to the viewers. This has been discussed for years, but today it’s really happening. If you’re playing games on those three platforms, why should you have a separate leaderboard for each platform? Why should you have separate tournaments on each platform? Why should you have separate data feeds or separate individual customizations for news, sports or weather?
You should be able to access and experience everything, no matter what device you’re looking at. I think that has to be our focus. It’s not just us: the entire media world is finally realizing this. Now that they are realizing it, hopefully they’ll continue to look to companies like us, who’ve been talking about this and developing backends and services around this concept for many years.
[itvt]: As a veteran of the interactive TV industry, how do you see the industry today?
Boltax: I think the operators are now viewing it seriously both as a revenue opportunity and as a means to reduce churn. You’re seeing a lot of momentum today that’s putting interactive TV in an exciting place as each month goes by. It’s truly the most interesting, unique–and hectic–time for ITV that I can remember in the past 10 years or so.
[itvt]: Is PixelPlay working on any concepts that merge programming content with gaming?
Boltax: We have some ideas in that realm, and obviously this concept–if successful–could be one of the true pinnacles of interactive TV. This type of content is what you might call "pure interactive TV," and I think we will get there as an industry.
[itvt]: What kinds of announcements should we expect to hear from PixelPlay in the coming months?
Boltax: From June and throughout the summer, we’ll have a number of very exciting announcements in the US. These announcements will show that PixelPlay continues to be the leader in cross-platform, branded games services and interactive television game and application development. They’ll also show that we are determined to push the envelope by creating new experiences that will make cross-platform standard for all media consumption.
Click http://www.itvt.com to subscribe to our free email newsletter, which contains all the news stories you see on this Web site, and additional breaking news and scoops, in-depth features, interviews, screenshots, videos, and other exclusive content you will not find anywhere else.
Filed under: Interviews
