Blog Post Week 10-Red Queens and Increasing Returns
For the movie viewing assignment, I happened to
have the DVD version of the movie. I think I had looked for it on Netflix and
could not locate it.
The competition between the DVD and Video-on-demand
is an example of increasing returns. Increasing returns consist of two
innovations that developed relatively at the same time, yet one excels and the
other becomes obsolete (Thornburg, 2009). The DVD in its’ original development
was expensive and increased DVD player/large televisions increased in sales
(Anderson, 2007). Soon after, Netflix emerged and capitalized on the home movie
rental industry. According to the McLuhan’s Laws of Media, the creation of
Netflix essentially obsolesced the DVD industry, as DVD’s price has dropped
dramatically over the course of the past decade. Video on demand, such as
Netflix, is an extension/enhancement of television/movie entertainment,
allowing the viewer to watch at their convenience, in their on home, at an
affordable price.
Tags: DVD, Video on demand, Increasing returns, Red queens
References:
Anderson, C. (2007). Tech’s Long Tail Video. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_of_wired_on
_ tech_s_long_tail.html
Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future
technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Thornburg, D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and
McLuhan's laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space
Exploration.
Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and
strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake
Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
