Google is partnering with Nike to develop a compelling answer to MySpace.com through a site known as Joga.com
that
attempts to do the same thing MySpace did for music, albeit
through
soccer. This may be perceived as an offering not entirely
different from that of ESPN's
Mobile Phone, until you consider that Google is running an invitation
only platform, whereas anyone with the hard cash can sign up for the
ESPN
service. Perhaps Google is betting that tastemakers can provide
the buzz that is needed to hype up the service early on, creating a
heightened demand and taste for it on the streets, and a sense of
exclusivity that is missing from MySpace, or other social networking
communities.
Or is this is a desperate attempt for Google to
corner overseas markets, where soccer is a national sport, before
anyone else devotes resources to them? If anyone has visited this site,
or been invited to it, let us know what your experiences have been.