MySpace becomes entertainment destination with videogaming platform

At the TECH conference in Pasadena, California, News Corp digital head Jonathan Miller said that he saw opportunities to transform MySpace into a stronger online videogaming platform as it works to reposition the six-year-old site as an entertainment destination. MySpace already has a portal where users can play videogames with friends online.

A focus on videogames could help MySpace reestablish itself and better compete against Facebook, which recently surpassed MySpace`s peak number of unique monthly users in the United States, 76.3 million, set in October 2008, according to the research house.

Furthermore, Miller described videogames as an opportunity for expansion not only for MySpace, but for owner News Corp, which has the Fox network and movie studio and other media companies. News Corp recently ousted MySpace co-founder and CEO Chris DeWolfe and installed its own management team. And MySpace, in a cost-cutting move, laid off more than 400 workers, or 30 % of its staff, in the United States.

Talking about News Corp chief executive Rupert Murdoch's recent assessment Miller said that MySpace should become an "entertainment portal". Besides, he added that they are focusing on music, games, video, things like that. However, it was not clear if MySpace would leverage more entertainment content from parent company News Corp and its television and movie divisions.

Additionally, Miller said that News Corp could possibly make acquisitions to uphold MySpace's video game platform, though he had no specific targets in mind.