IceBox
By John Evans
IceBox is a media company developing and testing content on the web
for eventual migration to other media.
IceBox.com is a well-known web animation company, famous for Flash
cartoons like "Zombie College", "Starship Regulars"
and "Garbage Island". However, recently they seem to have
undergone something of a metamorphosis. IceBox's mission has always
been to create content which could be quickly distributed and reviewed
over the web; with email feedback and interactive review boards, it
was possible to see near-instantaneously which cartoons flopped and
which cartoons flew. The most popular series had almost a dozen episodes
of high-quality animation each, all available for free viewing.
Now, however, IceBox has apparently decided to use their web series
as marketable assets. Each program webpage now has only one episode
viewable, with a note saying "All episodes will be available
only on DVD". Press releases mention IceBox also looking into
television series based on their properties (Zombie College in particular).
Will the new IceBox be successful? In my opinion, it will. People
will be willing to pay to see shows they enjoy, as long as there is
a good value to be had. (Ten five-minute episodes on a DVD probably
won't sell; forty episodes, four series, just might.) IceBox seems
to have enough confidence in their properties that there will be a
market for buyers. The "natural selection" business model
is quite clever, and might produce many more hits if IceBox continues
with the strategy. All in all, IceBox seems to be a company to watch
in the new entertainment media world.