Issue Spring 2010

Game Mania Excites with Digital Media

When Game Mania, the largest gaming retailer in Belgium and the Netherlands, was looking for an in-store narrow casting solution, it turned to YCD partner - and Benelux’s leading provider of custom retail digital signage solutions - ThisPlays2.

Game Mania’s objectives were to create more visibility for its new game releases, promote its services and foster a dynamic and entertaining in-store environment for customers. Specifically, Game Mania wanted to create excitement and anticipation around the release of new titles by displaying the number of days until release date and encouraging customers to pre-order. Game Mania’s marketing department required that the pre-order game promotions run 20 times per hour, interspersed with current top 40 music hits between every two game trailers.

Personalized Customer Experience
ThisPlays2 applied YCD’s technology by installing the YCD|Player™ serving both music and video, to create the right customer experience. When the game trailers run, synchronized audio is distributed throughout the store. Between every two game trailers a recent and demographically targeted music track is played, while the displays show corporate branding and other promotional information. YCD’s patented audio normalization technology allows the volume on the audio baselines to be more aggressive during the game trailers for added impact. The countdowns to release dates are dynamically updated via a feed from Game Mania’s database.

ThisPlays2 provided installation and integration services for the project and provides ongoing content management and distribution services, freeing Game Mania’s marketing department from the operational workload. The content is remotely scheduled and distributed on a weekly basis from ThisPlays2 offices using YCD’s web based remote content management system YCD|Platform™.

ThisPlays2, based in Antwerp, was founded in January 2008 by three partners who combine years of expertise in retail marketing, information and communication technology, and music/video distribution. ThisPlays2 adds value in the digital signage market by combining YCD Multimedia’s technology with modular content services like licensed music and music video clips, custom content creation and content management services. ThisPlays2 provides a one stop solution for retail stores in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg.