There aren’t many arcade games which feature online connectivity and there are even fewer which connect to Facebook. In fact, there is only one I know of and that’s Incredible Technologies Golden Tee LIVE 2011. The feature allows players to sign into their Facebook account in the game and that will then let their friends know that they are playing GT2011 at a particular location. It’s a good way to advertise the game but also the location benefits from the attention as well. IT is about to take this a step further by running a new promotion that is a part of this connectivity, one they hope helps out the operators who have a connected GT2011 machine.
Golden Tee 2011 has a Facebook fan page of it’s own and if they reach 10,000 likes by Valentine’s Day, then all of the people who are a fan of that page will receive 25 Golden Tees (which is a special item that players normally have to pay a small fee for in the game) to use in the game itself. If they reach 15,000 fans, then everyone will receive 50 free tees, if they reach 20,000 then 100 free tees will be given out. At the time of this writing, they currently have 7,000 fans exactly. See the press release after the break for the full details
It’s a great way to drive interest in the game and locations and honestly, it’s forward thinking ideas like this that I would like to see more of with arcade games. We need more than just high scores to drive play and traffic and there are a lot of things that can be done with online connectivity, whether it’s through something like Facebook, Youtube, smartphone applications, tournaments, etc. Free giveaways like they are doing with GT2011 are always a good way to increase play on a game – see this article for an idea on the psychology behind the freebie and how it relates to video games.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
Contact: Gary Colabuono
Director of Marketing
847.870.7027 X 192
New Facebook Promo to Drive Golden Tee Fans to Locations
(January 17, 2011 – Arlington Heights, IL) Incredible Technologies, the amusement industry’s most innovative user of social media, announced today a new program designed to drive casual Golden Tee players to bars and pubs across the world.
“Golden Tee Golf has nearly 7,000 friends on Facebook, far more than any other coin-operated video game,” said Dan Schrementi, the company’s director of new media. “But our goal is to double or even triple that amount, and the way we’re doing it will directly benefit operators and locations.”
Players simply need to go to the Golden Tee Facebook page and “LIKE” Golden Tee. If the total number of friends hits 10,000 by Valentine’s Day, then every friend will receive 25 free Gold Tees. Gold Tees, available to players for a nominal up-charge, are the hottest new feature of Golden Tee LIVE 2011. Gold Tees enable players to customize their tee shots providing them with a better opportunity to lower their scores.
“If we reach 15,000 friends, each player receives 50 free tees, and if we make it to 20,000 then each player will receive 100 free Gold Tees,” Schrementi said. “With potentially thousands of new Golden Tee fans flocking to Golden Tee machines around the world, we believe this promotion will be huge for operators. We encourage everyone to pass the word!”
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