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Video Games Hit The Big Screen
Anonymous Coward writes "A movie theatre owner in Logan, Utah is hoping to start a new trend by bringing video games (Halo in this case) to the big screen. The local newspaper in Logan, The Herald Journal has a nice write-up about the success they had. Does anyone else think this could catch on to be successful, especially in college towns?"
I'm not sure if it's ever been something you can pay for, but the local Famous Players (big Canadian theatre chain) was advertising a Halo 2 fest with ten friends if you entered and won some sort of contest. That being said, I'd be more likely to pay 8.00 for a massive two-hour Halo deathmatch than a boring movie.
With your numbers, if it costs the theater $5 per person in royalties to play a movie, they come out ahead assuming the same number of people would show up either way.
It's during a time when the theatre would otherwise be idle... assuming the licensing fees weren't too high, it's found money.
At UMich Ann Arbor. With Super Smash Bros. and a few dozen others.
I think the key is that "tournaments are scheduled for Friday nights at midnight". If this were at 8pm, I would not see how it would pay the theater better than a showing a movie. But by midnight they need a special event to get any kind of a crowd.
Why are all posts pointing out that this is a dupe getting modded flamebait?
Not to mention that in 1993, it was mostly only kids with (a) no car and (b) no cash who played Nintendo. Now you have gamers that can drive themselves to the theater and plop down a few bucks.
Does anyone else think this could catch on to be successful, especially in college towns?
Yes, but only if there is beer provided. Pizza also a plus.
.. I hate replying to my own post.
The cinema really makes a killing on selling the candy. $3 cokes and $4 packs of salted and sweet snacks go a long way to stuffing the coffers of your local cinema outlet. The movies themselves are almost just a vehicle to sell junk food.
Film distributors are greedy, soul sapping bastards. If the candy bar didn't pull in an extra $10 or so per consumer here at my local cinema the place would be really scrounging for cash.
Um, once upon a time there were these things called "arcades." They were very very sunlight free, often filled with smoke, and, while crowded, had very little socializing going on. They were pretty cool.
Anyone else think that all these hardcore gamers are vampires gaming among us?