VINDICATION : GAMING @ CINEMAS / Who Would Have Thunk It.

If you read this Blog, you are probably aware that I have been a proponent of offering alternative (non-movie) content at cinemas for about 10 years. In the late '90s, in an effort to get cinemas to increase their utilization rates, we began touting the idea that cinemas should present alternative content via video projection. We now see this as commonplace in everything from pre-feature ads and entertainment to mini-film fests at cinemas.

In '02 I began pushing the notion of using cinemas for video gaming and gaming tournaments as a viable and easy source for additional revenue. The idea was to put gaming stations in cinemas consisting of tables and 27" TVs (cost about $300/station). Participants would bring their own game boxes, games, and controllers and be charged a nominal tournament fee. The quarter finalists on up in the tournament would get to game-battle on a cinema screen- winners receiving either monetary rewards or gaming gear. This is a guaranteed house packer.

Although some of my clients did not warm to the idea - "I already have Arcade games in the lobby" - to my surprise and delight I may have been fully vindicated: A new commercial for Microsoft's 360 X-Box depicts several people watching a movie, at a cinema, when suddenly a video game begins to play on the screen. They rush up and burst into the cinema's projection booth to discover a gamer playing on an X-Box hooked up to a video projector. This, larger then life game, blows them away and they query the gamer as to when it will be their turn to play.
Great commercial and spot on!

Today, cinemas must constantly be creating new ways to use their venue. 90% of video gamers range in age from 8 to 38 (a huge demographic) which is split almost evenly between male and female, and across all cultural, ethnic, and income levels. The movie industry provides great entertainment for millions of people on a worldwide basis, but it is not a growth industry. Therefore, to be successful, a cinema must be seen as "the place" to go for a variety of entertainment choices and not just a place to see a movie.

Note: Parts of this blog were extracted from the April 25th Cinema Training Central email Flash. If you would like to receive the CTC Flash in the future please provide you email address.