Well-equipped hideaways for playing games and watching movies

Popular for years now, South Korean 'Video Bangs' (private mini-cinemas) are quickly becoming 'DVD Bangs' ('Bang' is Korean for a public space or room which can be rented for a short period of time).

Ever since the introduction of VHS, video bangs have been doing good business, combining the privacy of a living-room setting with larger-than-at-home screens, top-notch audio system and in-house catering, with the pleasures of escaping one's apartment or flat. The latter being more than a premium for South Korean youngsters, as they often continue to live with their parents for quite a while after reaching partying-age.

Needless to say, PC Bangs (for playing games) are hugely popular as well, with online broadband access turning gaming into a multi-media, global and real-time adventure, all from one's own reclinable leather chair.

You may just want to change the name before you introduce this business concept in English-speaking nations ;-)

Making the best possible use of valuable real estate

Renting and exploiting real estate is costly. If you're in a business where your B2C space is empty most of the day or night, but the rent or mortgage never takes a break, be inspired by Pacific Theatres in San Diego, which has cleverly anticipated the video gaming craze and the desire for BEING SPACES, by turning one of its screens into a massive multi-player gaming theater.

Theater seats are equipped with Internet-connected computers and gaming consoles and visitors can compete against others in the theater or play online with people around the world. The theater offers 100 stadium gaming seats and more than 3,000 games (from "Madden 2003" to "Counterstrike") for the PC, PS2, GameCube, and even Xbox Live.

The service is doing well, even though most gamers have all the equipment they need at home. But then again, owning a TV, VCR or DVD player has never stopped people from going to the movies either. (Check out our BEING SPACE trend to see why.)

Filmgoers who have a ticket to a Pacific Theatre movie get 30 minutes free playing time. Dedicated gamers pay by the hour, with opening hours being 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Which means Pacific Theaters not only gets the moviegoers that just come in to play a quick game, but also hard-core gamers who meet for tournaments, during hours the theater would normally have been (almost) empty.

The new gaming theater was created by ESports Arena, a leader in computer and console gaming solutions, and interactive entertainment in online and offline venues. (source: techtv.com, livegamenews.com). ESports was inspired by South Korea's 15,000 gaming rooms (which Springwise will cover in the upcoming May issue), which are lacking in the US, even though there are more gamers in the US, then realized that an infrastructure was readily available in the sprawling networks of cinemas around the US.

Opportunities

ESports, which has applied for a patent for its method and system of game entertainment facilities, has plans to roll out 400 other gaming theaters throughout the US in the next four years, including Los Angeles and New York. With gaming incredibly popular from San Diego to Stockholm to Seoul, that number could mushroom worldwide soon.

In-game advertising: another step towards the omni-presence of brands

Professional marketing managers would love to establish an omni-presence for their brands and products, which means exposure in both the real and the virtual world. Hence the never-ending parade of experience stores, TV commercials and web site banners. From now on, add online games to the mix as well. Driven by better games and more broadband connections, 11.1 billion minutes are spent each month by consumers on playing online games, which represents a massive but largely untapped market for intimate in-game product placements.

How does it work? Sims Online (by Electronic Arts) shows the way. A virtual city in which participants lead virtual lives, Sims has long been immensely popular as a CD-Rom based game. By moving into the online arena, entirely new doors are opened for players and advertisers alike. McDonald's and Intel are already spending more than $2 million on their virtual presence in the Sims community. Players can not only buy a virtual Big Mac, but can actually become McDonald's franchisees. They will use Intel branded PCs in their virtual homes and offices.

Nokia, meanwhile, has opted for 'Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer' (an Activision game), which will show the main character using a Nokia cell/mobile phone (sources: NYT and Internetnews.com).

Another Activision game, 'Street Hoops', will feature the Sprite logo on billboards and passing buses, earning Activision $100,000.

Vivendi Universal's game 'Run Like Hell' promotes 'BAWLS', a caffeine-shot drink. The game will feature BAWLS soft drinks and vending machines located strategically throughout the game. Nick Connor', the main character, can drink the beverage as a 'power-up' to sustain his health and endurance.

Opportunities

Whether all of the tech savvy and often highly opinionated gaming community will happily welcome the invasion of real world brands and products into their virtual lives remains to be seen, but with big brands moving into this space, and the number of gamers still increasing rapidly (for example: Nielsen reports more than 6 million Europeans visited an online gaming website in January 2003, more than double the number a year ago), developing your company's in-game advertising strategy is time well spent.