Apollo Hosting- Company Blog

As I found it easier to talk about ecommerce related matters last time by working them into comics, I'll give it a shot this time by using video games. Yes, I'm that big of a geek, why do you ask? This is actually a little marketing/ecom crossover, and it's about how knowing what business you're in will help you stay in business. It applies to ye olde brick and mortars and it applies online.

What made me think about video games, in this context at least, was my playing them last weekend. Well, I play them most weekends, but this was different. I was standing in front of a big machine in an arcade midway with a bunch of other members of the human race. We had a little recreational company function at our local Dave & Busters. Depending on your geographical location, you'll either know what that is immediately or you'll have to look it up. Standing in the midst of this large arcade, playing the games, I was struck by the fact that, not 2 hours earlier, I was playing a game with far more advanced graphics and presentation than these massive machines, and it was sitting on my desk at home.

As I walked around the Dave & Buster's arcade, that theme continued to stand out. Around me, every screen was filled with graphics that were, in the majority of cases, on par with previous generation consoles, Xboxes, PS2s, etc. Only the obviously newest machines, a couple, at best, seemed to approach current console generation graphics, and none even vaguely approached the raw complexity and power a top-of-the-line PC GPU could supply. Mere hours ago I was in the comfort of home, enjoying maxed out graphical eye candy, and compelling story and gameplay, of the new World in Conflict game on my computer. So, why were all these people here, when they could be relaxing at home?

I recalled that there really weren't many arcades anymore. At least, not the kind I remember from the early 90's, when malls would generally have one. These small, dark corners, heavy with the scent of geek sweat, existed only to provide square footage for big cabinets whose only purpose in life was to receive our humble donations, usually in amounts divisible by 25. In return, they provided graphical and gameplay experiences we couldn't find on our home consoles or even our mighty PCs. That's why I'd stray in, for one. Seek out the best looking game and give it a try. Make no mistake, I stunk at those games. I'm the guy who did my best to keep arcades in business by lasting for only 3 minutes on 3 quarters.

But somewhere, the classic video game cabinets got left behind on the graphical curve. Turns out the 90's were just a brief resurgence before most arcades went away. Consoles and PCs caught up to the graphical curve, so video game addicts could get a decent fix at home, without sacrificing laundry money. The companies making the actual arcade machines weren't fast enough to provide an improved experience to players, who could stay home with the latest entries from Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. Probably not much of a stretch to say the people running all those mall arcades didn't particularly want to go out business, but go a lot of them did.

Yet there I was, 15 years later, standing in the middle of a pretty vibrant, well stocked arcade. Instead of thinking about how "poor" the graphical experience was compared to my home experience, I got to thinking about how companies making the games, and locations like Dave & Busters, were still in business.

The machines got bigger, for one. The fidelity of the graphics still couldn't touch my dual 8800 Ultras, but the screens were about 3 times larger than my 19'' flat panel. Gone were the basic cabinet designs that housed many a Ms. Pac Man game. Most of the machines featured a big-screen TV display, many in the 50'' and over category. Most people don't have their game consoles hooked up to a display like that. The machines also featured a kind of interactivity that isn't exactly available at home, either. The majority of the big "shooter games" provide large plastic, motion sensitive weapons that players 'shoot' at the screen. These aren't just little plastic pistols, but big submachinegun sized toys that simply aren't available in the home market. Finally the racing and flying games feature seats with steering wheels or control yokes to provide a more immerse experience.

The current crop of arcade machines provide things you can't get from home game play, no matter how limited their graphical display might be. Companies who design the machines realized they couldn't do any better with the visuals than the home machines, so they provided things you simply can't get at home.

What of Dave & Busters, the location of these huge, interactive game behemoths? It would seem they figured out what a lot of arcade owners didn't, they were in the business of providing a social experience and recreational destination, not just a place to warehouse quarter gobbling cabinets. More than an arcade, they provide a full service restaurant and bar, with large display screens for sports. Video game machines are mixed with "ticket game" machines, allowing users to win tickets that can be turned into prizes. This provides additional play options with the possibility of reward. In short, Dave & Busters is more than just an "arcade". The arcade is there, but it's not the only reason to go, and it supports the other activities available there. Customers have incentive to go there instead of just sitting at home with a Playstation and ordering delivery pizza.

The lesson to take away from this "how I spent my weekend" story, is that, even if you provide the same products and services as the guy in the next URL over, you can win by better understanding what it is you're selling. Maybe you need to introduce community features to your website, provide people a place to meet and discuss the kind of products you sell. Consider creating additional supporting content that changes regularly, such as a blog. Give your customers a reason to keep coming back to your little corner of the ecommerce universe instead of the competition's. Sure, they might not be coming back to buy each and every time, but you build a relationship, one that will lead them back every time they want to buy again.