Predicting Success From Net Chatter

from the data-data-data dept

Slowly, but surely, companies are beginning to realize some of the benefits to the great internet publishing platform that lets anyone write about anything. For many years, folks in Hollywood would mostly ignore all the online discussion boards about movies, not really caring what the fanboys had to say. More recently, that's changed, and many studios recognize the value of getting some feedback from fans before releasing a film. However, it's finally going a step further and studios are starting to realize the predictive power of online movie forums in determining whether a movie will be a success or a failure. Of course, the result so far is that the execs are blaming the internet for bad movies, rather than realizing that the internet is simply reflecting public opinion. In other words, the movie was already bad, and the internet just made people realize it faster. Of course, the next thing that will happen, instead of working to make better movies, the studios are likely to try to seed internet message boards with fake anonymous posters touting how wonderful a movie is.