GAME comes out swinging

Tonight, GAME will be hosting the first GAME Swinging event, which combines game-trading and speed-dating at the exquisite Dome bar in Sydney.

18-25 year old singletons will be mingling, swapping games and each other in a mixture of fun, drinks, gaming and 'more'. MCV had a chat to Paul Yardley, MD of GAME Australia, about just what this event is going to do for GAME as a brand.

So just what can people expect from the night?

GAME SWINGING is our series of dedicated events that mix the dating game with video games. Guests will get the opportunity to trade not only their games but also the guys or girls they're playing them with.

The evening has a number of stages: it all starts in the Loading Bar, where guests get the opportunity to 'trade' past the velvet rope onto the Trading Floor. Here, consoles and couches for two are set up ready for guests to play with their partners.

If guests get bored they can trade their game, guy or girl for another. And if they find someone they'd like to play a little longer, they can take it upstairs to the private gaming suites to 'play' alone.

Who are the main people you're focusing? Are they GAME customers or potential GAME customers?

We're focusing on guys and girls who love fun nights out, gaming and trading in. So there'll be a mix of existing and new GAME customers - all the participants registered via our website gameswinging.com.au.

Does the event hold a major branding focus for GAME? How does it fit into the larger experiential retail concept GAME has been working on since June this year?

Clearly we're hoping people will talk about GAME SWINGING a lot, since we think it's a really exciting concept and a great set of events. As we've said before, retail needs to evolve to get closer to the customer and provide more than just a box on a shelf, and this is just another part of that journey.

Do you think there already people who see flirting and gaming as part and parcel, or is this something GAME has had to drive mostly itself?

I think the mainstream media portrayal of gamers is often so wrong - gamers are a really broad audience and there's no reason why they wouldn't flirt with the best of them!

What will constitute a successful first event for you?

Success for us is everyone who's coming along having an amazing time, getting the message on trade-in out there so everyone knows we have the best trade-in prices around, and having a bit of fun on the side.

Thank you for your time.

To register for the MCV Pacific News Digest, head to the registration page: http://www.mcvpacific.com/user/index/register/journey/register

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