Utada, MTV pin hopes on mobile content service Flux

[nmskalmn]

Utada, MTV pin hopes on mobile content service Flux

Steve McClure / Special to The Daily Yomiuri

Superstar Hikaru Utada is being featured in what MTV claims is the world's first mobile phone-based music-video series.

The series, comprising animated clips based on songs from Utada's 2004 English-language album, Exodus, will be available via MTV Networks' new Flux service, which it calls "the world's first mobile entertainment community." Flux is being launched in Japan today and in other markets worldwide in the coming months.

Flux will be available via telecom operator KDDI for a monthly fee of 315 yen. MTV says deals with other operators will be announced in the future.

The service will deliver entertainment and music content via mobile and online networks to consumers in Japan. Flux subscribers will be able to access short videos and music through their mobiles or computers, make recommendations to others and provide feedback.

"I really wanted to do this," said Utada at a recent press conference at which the new service was launched. "There are lots of different possibilities. Kids have such an amazing relationship with their mobiles, and I'm happy that my fans will be able to hear my music in this cool, new animated setting."

Utada evidently hopes that her deal with MTV/Flux will revive interest in Exodus, which sold relatively poorly in the United States. The album is due to be released in Europe this autumn, according to industry sources.

Utada appeared at the press conference with her father-producer, Teruzane Utada, and animator Koji Morimoto, who will be creating the clips based on Exodus tracks that will be available exclusively on Flux.

Bill Roedy, vice chairman of MTV Networks and president of MTV Networks International, says it's time for MTV to shift its priorities from television to digital media.

"The launch of Flux symbolizes the importance of digital media to MTVN's future and is our biggest international investment in this sector to date," Roedy said. "Asia is the driver of our digital strategy," Roedy said. "And with our global network we are in a unique position to harness the creative energy that exists here in Japan, and we will take that to the rest of the world. Technology has changed our lives, and Japan has been a clear leader. We will launch Flux in other markets and are uniquely positioned to share Japanese content innovations with the rest of the world through our global network."

MTV says Flux will be aimed at 13 to 34-year-olds. Content will include original video and animation productions from leading Japanese creators, such as Lightman, a superhero who battles against the forces of evil, and Hanamoski, a series of clips starring an elephant with a very long trunk.

Japanese short-form entertainment available on Flux will include Polygon Family, a computer graphic fantasy animation based on a video game; Perestroika, a comedy blending traditional Japanese comic monologues with a mixture of puppets and animation; and Sguy and the Family Stone, a slapstick flash animation series.

International programming from MTV will also be available, including Dirty Sanchez and Gutterpups. And fans of wacky subaqueous cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants will be able to view their hero's adventures on Flux. Until now, SpongeBob has only been viewable in Japan on MTV's Nickelodeon channel.

Clips will be available on the mobile service in episodes lasting one to three minutes, with lengthier content available through the Flux Web site (www.fluxnet.jp), which will be launched this autumn. Also available on Flux will be chakuuta (master ring tunes for mobile phones) from several Japanese record labels.

MTV says Flux can help promote Japanese music overseas once the service is available in other countries.

"Japanese pop culture now has more influence worldwide than it did 20 years ago," said Tony Elison, senior vice president-general manager of digital media at Viacom International Japan--MTV's parent company. "That's the biggest reason we want to start Flux in Japan."

Elison noted that the number of subscribers to 3G third-generation mobile phones in Japan is rising every month.

"There are 30 million 3G subscribers in Japan now," Elison said. "In three years, that's expected to rise to 80 million." Elison says MTV would like to sign up the "bulk" of those 3G users to Flux, but says MTV has no specific estimate of how many will do so.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features...30TDY14003.htm

[AyuGAME]

hmm..ok

[ruixiong89]

Lol, Exodus was a really good album with a lot of experimentation and a lot of electrofunk! Yar, kind of sad that it sold poorly but it's just a total LACK of promotion! That's what's causing the dip in sales!

Well, yar, I guess Hikki has learnt her lesson and hope she still continues her American Odyssey! It's not that people don't appreciate her work, it's that people don't even know she exists!

[Halla]

too bad the 3G-network isn't that widespread or common in Europe or in US as it is in Japan , so I really doubt these Exodus clips will gain that much of attention if they're ever released in US/EU

[stardusties]

uuh ._.;; didn't Korea's Anycall be the "first phone based music video series" -_-;

Edit: :3...hmm that sounds cool X_x I hope her Exodus sales go up after this..the sales were just horrible

[BanFan]

Well I was at Sam Goody, and after not finding "Japan For Sale" Vol 3 or 4 (Just for the Tommy Heavenly6 and brilliant green songs), and I picked up the last Exodus copy.

6/12 real songs (minus the 2 interludes) were good. Hotel Lobby, Devil Inside, Exodus '04, Animato, Kremlin Dusk and About Me were good. Easy Breezy, The Workout, Tippy Toe, You Make Me Want to Be a Man and Let Me Show You My Love were icky though. So I guess I got my $13 worth, since the interludes were ok, so 8/14 tracks are good. ><;

[BanFan]

Wow. I didn't listen to the whole song before. Kremlin Dusk is the best song on the album. I think it's the closest to something she'd release in Japan. Hotel Lobby's probably my 2nd favorite, even though it's about prostitution (correct me if I'm wrong ><; )...

Overall the album's about 55-60% good. 'You Make Me Want to Be a Man' is sort of growing on me though. But I think some more people should pick it up and try it out for themselves. It's better than what I expected so I hope the album gets some more promotion...

After listening to songs like Easy Breezy and I had to revert back to some 'Sakura Drops', 'traveling' and 'Hikari' to remind myself how good of an artist Utada Hikaru really is. Hopefully her next Japanese album will be good. Wasn't it supposed to come out soon? Now she's doing American stuff. :eyeroll: