Marketplace content

[Korenaren]

This may be stretching the mission of the site, but what do you all think of something like a MindMap of the Live Marketplace?

It would show the full content of the Marketplace (possibly in the same hierarchy, possibly improving the organizational structure)...I know this is a poor place to upload the jpg example:

http://spaces.msn.com/martyspacezone/photos/?_c02_owner=1

Anyway, I'm not a graphics artist, and don't know too much about mind map...my concepts were:
* Bigger picture of what's available...to put it mildly, I don't particularly like poking through the Live menus every time looking for something that I haven't downloaded yet.
* Better visibility to New! items, and I am trying to show some fading "New!" picture to represent downloads that aren't as New! as others.
* Easier display of point costs

Questions are:
* Is it a good idea, and does it mesh well with the overall mission of tihs site?
* Can it be better integrated into the web site with either MindMap or a better tool? And could it be interactive (opening/closing branches)?

I'm willing to spend some time, if necessary, copying the content from the Marketplace into some appropriate data format. Perhaps this is already out on the net...I haven't looked.

[NamelessForever]

That sounds like a cool idea, but wouldn't that take like forever to do?

[Korenaren]

OK...I spent a little more time on this (not much though until I get a better sense of whether we should implement or not).

The basic idea is to have a Map of the Live Marketplace content...not directly related to a360p, but not a bad tie in. Goal is to see all Marketplace content, point costs, download size, date created (with New! flag if appropriate), and descriptions.

I constructed a portion of the Marketplace using what's called Mind Map software (specifically, I used FreeMind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). If the idea is generally accepted, I can round out the Map as best possible - and no, it doesn't take too long. There is data that would have to be researched. For example, I don't know when most files were uploaded to the Marketplace (in the past)...hopefully, over time, the community could provide creation dates for all past content; for the future, we would maintain this info as it becomes available.

Showing a prototype is the wierd part, it's not very interesting unless you have the html code or the Mind Map file. However, I posted 3 screenshots on my MSN Space Photo Album: http://spaces.msn.com/martyspacezone/photos/?_c02_owner=1

Flip through the pics, and you can see the HTML version will allow users to expand and collapse the Map of the Marketplace content. The HTML version also provides hyperlinks on every Game title to the appropriate a360p Forum!

Let me know what you think.

[NamelessForever]

Wow, you have put a lot of thought into this idea. I like it a lot, but I have no say around here. You will have to wait and see how the Monsters like it.

[lazl0w]

I think it would be to much to have to update all the time.

[NamelessForever]

Yeah, that's true. I didn't think about that, unless you can make it so it self updates.

[lazl0w]

Is there a way to do that?

[Korenaren]

It's much easier than updating Achievements on a daily basis! It obviously needs higher control/maintenance than your typical Forum poster. However, built into the constructs of this site's mission...I don't think the updates are that big of a deal.

But yes, bottom line...need the Monsters feedback.

[NamelessForever]

Damn, I think it would be very cool indeed. Maybe they would let you take control of it. You sound like you have done all the research and probably could get it up and running in no time at all..

[Korenaren]

Another cool application of the Marketplace Map...Embedding the actual gamer pic(s) screenshot in the map. Might take a while, and lots of help from the community to grab all of these...but would be very cool to see all Gamer Pics within a Picture Pack before downloading (and even without logging into Live).

Couldn't link directly to Photo 4...just use the MSN Spaces link above and go to Photo 4 of the album.

[Steve Vice]

I really like the idea, but I don't think its relevant to what this site is doing at all though. There are sites that cover the marketplace already.

[Korenaren]

Yah. I was wondering about that. I haven't seen any other site that wraps up the Marketplace content...only announcements for new content. I thought it might be a good opportunity for additional value-add to this site.

Another perspective is that the map embeds links to the a360p Forums...if the map is poliferated and/or advertised to other sites, it's possible we could drive more site hits this way???

Still waiting to hear from the Monsters on their perspective...

[Gadget Man 007]

I think it would be really cool but I think its to much work for one person alone (I can help with some of it I guess).

[ChunnDaYoungGun]

i like the idea. i think it will add ease through the navigation of the marketplace.