Subject: ClioSoft marketing gimmick highlights their Visual Design DIFF

From: John Cooley <jcooley=user domain=zeroskew not mom>

In real life I usually hate marketing gimmicks, but when it comes to EDA
marketing gimmicks I tend to love them -- because they're so extremely rare
to come across.  Usually most EDA co's keep to a safe, unimaginative ad
script of "We're XYZ and we're really good at 123."  Yawn.

So when I accidentally stumbled across the ClioSoft Visual DIFF Game, I
stopped working and gave it a shot.  Here it is:

      

It's obvious how the game works, so I say IGNORE the first screen that tells
you the "instructions"; just hit PLAY!

Basically you have a movable magnifying glass to do a "visual DIFF" of two
analog schematics.

I was at a client's site when I started the game.  With no warning the music
to Beat The Clock played in the background right as I started the game.

("Oh, CRAP, the guys in the next cubical now know I'm not exactly working
right now!...  Oh, well.  Might as well play since I'm already busted...")

I moved the magnifying glass around.  Damn, that font is SMALL!  I hit what
I think is a mismatch, I'm wrong, and I get a big red X!  Hmmmm.  Looks like
a 3-strikes-and-you're-out rule in effect here.  

At time 1:06 I strike out with a buzzer sound and booing (!) from the game.

It shows me where the DIFF's are.  I hit the OK button.  It then shows me
exactly what the ClioSoft VDD tool would have done and how I can "register
to win an IPad".

OK, that's to be expected.

I hit refresh on my browser to play the game again.  Damn.  Same mismatches
are in the same place; it's not a new game with new mismatches.

Whatever.

Anyway...  Do you get it?  ClioSoft is hyping their Visual Design DIFF (VDD)
functionality in their SOS by having you do a "visual DIFF" game!

Cheesy?  Yes.  Stupid?  Yes.

Yet very clever because I got their message in a fun, silly way.

And the guy in the neighboring cubical asked me to forward the link so
he could give it a try...

                    http://www.cliosoft.com/game/

So as far as EDA marketing gimmicks go, I give this one 3.5 stars.  Make it
a new game with new mismatches each time I refresh and it gets 4.0 stars.

    - John Cooley
      DeepChip.com                               Holliston, MA

  FULL DISCLOSURE: This is paid coverage of an EDA promotion.  Yea,
  it was fun, but I got paid to write this.  And it was for a promo
  only.  I never do paid coverage nor paid endorsements of ANY EDA
  TOOLS NOR COMPANIES.  (See Q7, Q8, Q9 here for an explaination.)