Not just play?

It would be interesting to discover the various individual motivations for investing brain time and treasure in this paper. As indicated from the hands raised in the lecture, some will be passionate about game culture itself, while others will be curious about a medium that they know little about. Dismissing a couple of brief periods, I’ve been a dispassionate, over the shoulder, observer of videogames, but their influence has had an impact in my professional life. And that is why I’m here.

The Marketing environment has gone through the transition from one-way, broadcast mass communication to one to one, two-way conversations with people.  The focus is on creating engaging activities that allow people have deeper relationships with brands. Digital technology has enabled collection of personalised and localised data instantly and respond with tailor-made responses sent to computers, phones and a myriad of other devices, e.g. in-store merchandising. All this can be measured and evaluated for effectiveness in real time.

Retaining consumer attention requires the brand providing constant news or rewarding experience. 

Promotional Marketing often turns to game techniques in the construction of awareness or sales building programmes. Marketers borrow from the fun and immersive qualities that videogames offer and associate these with the brand.

This example from McDonald’s in Stockholm leverages the simple game of Pong in an unexpected way to generate store traffic. (source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/05/mcdonalds-interactive-pong-billboard-brings-big-screen-elation/) 

Pedestrians play on a giant billboard using their smartphone as the game controller. Game winners are rewarded with small food prizes which require people to visit the store where they’ll quite likely trade-up to larger meals. Behind the fun will be the commercial reality of what revenue the activity delivers to the bottom line.

This "digital immigrant" is looking forward to the insights that a deeper understanding of videogame theory and culture bring and applying that to developing creative business solutions. That is fun too!