Module 5 – Increasing Returns and Red Queens
Technology is recursive and has a cyclical process that borrows, enhances, and builds upon previous developments. In observing the components of one piece of technology it is possible to see a detailed line of lineage carried over from one piece to another. Regenerated technology resources are therefore building blocks for the creation of new and improved devices. For example, the Japanese Victor Company (JVC) (2015) on its website is credited for the world’s first VHS format video recorder, which was developed by JVC and introduced in 1976. Subsequently, according to Toshiba (1995-2016), in November 1996, at a time when the VHS VCR was leading the market, the SD-3000 was introduced. The SD-3000 VHS VCR was publicized as the world’s original DVD player and its introduction into the market subsequently made the VHS an obsolete device. True to the process of evolution, the succeeding technology, video on demand (VOD), is making DVD’s obsolete.
According to Thornburg (2014), the term “Red Queen” refers to parallel development of “two forces” which is brought about from their competition. The current competition between DVDs and video-on-demand is an example of increasing returns or Red Queens. The competitive nature of the development of these two technologies can be borne out by the previously stated development and marketing by JVC and subsequently Toshiba.
The new player, VOD is now pushing out DVDs through “downloading and streaming of movies and television shows on demand” (NewsUSA 2016). Video-on-demand are located on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad in “obsolesces” category. It replaces the VHS and the DVD market and puts movie access at the fingertips of the consumer. Through companies like Netflix, Amazon, and others consumers are at liberty to access movies at their leisure without the need for external devices. And, “according to the movie studio industry, DVD’s will continue to play a smaller role, albeit a supporting one, to digital” (NewsUSA 2016).
REFERENCES
Arthur, W. B. (2009). The nature of technology: What it is and how it evolves. New York, New York: Free Press.
Japanese Victor Company (2015). JVC – History. Retrieved from http://www.jvc.com/company/index.jsp?pageID=2
NewsUSA Today. (2016). http://www.newsusa.com/articles/article/video-on-demand-vs.-the-dvd-market.aspx
Thornburg, D. (2013d). Red queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
Thornburg, D. (2014). Red Queens, Butterflies, and Strange Attractors: Imperfect Lenses into Emergent Technologies. Licensed via Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/ Third-party images removed.
Toshiba Science Museum. (1995-2016). Retrieved from http://toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp/en/learn/history/ichigoki/1996dvd/index.htm
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