Nakayama Takuya sorted out the inner logic of this combination punch.
"AOL's commercial center of gravity has completely shifted," Nakayama Takuya judged. "Before, they treated content channels as a cost paid to attract users; now, those channels have become shelves and GG spots."
"Exactly right." Frank flipped to the last page of the report. "This is precisely the chain reaction forced out by the monthly subscription system. Washington political media quoted a record from American Banker. After the monthly subscription system was implemented, AOL no longer shared revenue with content providers based on the number of minutes users stayed. Instead, they began charging content providers hefty hosting fees and listing fees. Those digital magazines that were used to taking money from AOL, such as Slate, were furious at this shameless behavior."
AOL's attitude toward content had undergone a fundamental reversal.
They no longer advertised themselves as providing a public square.
They had become a calculating real-estate developer. Only those who could sell GG sponsorships, pay listing fees, and accept absolute control over what appeared on the display surface could survive within AOL's system.
"Silicon Valley Online's free model and aggregated portal perfectly avoid all of AOL's fee checkpoints," Nakayama Takuya summarized. "We don't pay them listing fees, and we're also taking away GG merchants that should have belonged to them. So they want to erase us in their algorithms and search weighting."
"They're building a new closed ecosystem," Frank said gravely. "Steve Case wants to pen all American netizens inside a 19.95 US dollar fence, with him deciding what news they read and what products they buy."
Nakayama Takuya picked up the teacup that had not yet gone cold and took a sip.
"Then judging by the current situation," he said into the microphone, "we're actually in an unbeatable position."