Pre-Movie On-Screen Games Expected To Draw People Back To Theaters?
from the seems-like-a-stretch dept
For quite some time now, plenty of people have been pointing out that for all the whining from the movie industry that BitTorrent and the simultaneous release of DVDs and films in theaters, the real issue was that the theater owners have completely forgotten that going to the movies is a social experience -- and if the experience was improved, more people would be willing to go. Instead, they give paying customers lectures and treat them like thieves. At least some companies are trying to provide new technologies to improve the pre-show experience with the ability to play games from in-seat consoles or via mobile phones. It's a nice feature -- and probably beats the traditional pre-movie trivia, but it still seems to be too narrowly focused. No one goes to the theater for the pre-show entertainment. Making it less annoying isn't exactly a selling point. Also, the article doesn't indicate it directly, but seems to imply that some theaters are looking to push ads to mobile phones as well, for those who participate in these games. Talk about killing off whatever advantage such a system would give the theaters.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Movie theaters.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Movie theaters.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Movie theaters.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Movie theaters.
The different themes are an awsome idea, so far I've seen an Atlantis, Egyptian, and the 50s theme theater.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
If I see an advertisement that interests me, I'll click on it. If I see an article that looks worth reading, I'll read it.
...The same goes for the movie industry - If I see a movie that interests me, I'll probably go see it. But if that movie experience is annoying (Such as the stupid FLASH ADs on the side of all the articles recently) - The chances of me coming back to see another movie (or in this case, read another TD article) will be slim to none.
Was putting up advertisements really worth it - if the advertisement is so invasive to the user experience the it is actually keeping your visitors (movie patrons) from returning?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
> advertisements on the side of your article pages? It makes trying to
> read your articles, just near impossible to do.
I find that Adblock does wonders.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'm from the Washington DC area - and it's like $10 for a ticket (the geographical reference is because I don't know what it's like elsewhere).
$10!! I pay $15 a month for Blockbuster online and it's as many as I can watch in a month. The prices keep going up at the movies - and I don't see any reason why. They're not offering a better service. Plus, technology at home is increasing and said technology is getting cheaper. I can get nearly the same sound and picture at home (without the size obviously). All that's missing is the mass amounts of people, the cell phones ringing, the uncomfortable seats, and the outrageous price(s) - even worse if you want to consume anything during the movie.
Movie theatres are pointless. But hey, at least they have an arcade...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
AND, anyone also notice that the comment counter just under the main article gets broken when TD staff doesnt agree and removes those replies.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: comment censorship
Um. No. And I can assure you it doesn't happen because we don't censor comments. Never have. Never will.
The only thing we remove are comments that are clearly spam. We have *never* removed comments that we didn't agree with. Just look at how many comments disagree with us all the time, and we leave them up.
If you can point to a specific comment that went missing, please, let us know.
AND, anyone also notice that the comment counter just under the main article gets broken when TD staff doesnt agree and removes those replies.
There may be two things that you're seeing. The comment counter does not always update immediately once a comment is added -- which is a function of the way the system works.
Secondly, as some people noticed, our comment database went on the fritz twice today. We've been working on it, and believe it's fixed, but that is likely the cause of any issues you saw with the comments.
As for comment censorship, I repeat -- it DOES NOT happen.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: comment censorship
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: comment censorship
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: comment censorship
I just searched the comments, and found that comment from back in November, still on the site, untouched:
You can see it here on the 17th comment.
Again, we don't censor comments that we disagree with. If you read Techdirt regularly, that should be totally obvious, based on the sheer number of comments that disagree with stuff that we write.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: comment censorship
Of course, now the coward isn't anonymous anymore... pity, that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Uh, actually....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Beer & Couches
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This COULD be great
I'd go just for that. There's absolutely nothing else drawing me to the cinema. The only good films to come out of late were good home veiwing. So I watched them at home.
You can't have fifty player Worms at home.
Yes I know the format would need some tweaking to make a game playable, but the effeort would be well worth it, if it filled the cinema, and made it a propperly sociable experience.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: This COULD be great
Thats what they're suggesting (I'd got that it was a 3.5 inch screen in every seat and that was that).
Nice. I'm looking forward to this hitting my local theater.
:)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
there is no comparison
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Not Anonymous Any More
"No, it's all right, sir, we don't morally censure, we just want the money....Yes, and here's the address to send it to: Voice Over (and CAPTION:) 'BLACKMAIL, BEHIND THE HOT WATER PIPES, THIRD WASHROOM ALONG, VICTORIA STATION'"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
People suck...
While I think the prices are outrageous they are not the reason I avoid going to the movies. It's the stupid ass people who act like they're sitting in their living room.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Movie experience sux for several reasons
Lets see.. combine a $10/pp ticket price w/prices on candy and popcorn that make you consider financing, then combine that w/a movie industry that sends us more sequels and remakes nowadays than original content, and throw in a slew of 13yo's w/cellphones who think answering a phone during a movie somehow makes them cool, and an increasingly better theatre experience at home... and its really no shock this industry is in decline.
I applaud their at least ideas about how to make the experience better, but they should forget the pre-show bs and trying to stuff our phones w/ads.
How about this.. we block ALL cellphone signals in theatres? ALL of them....if you are expecting a call you shouldn't be in the theatre (what did these people do before cellphones?). Then, we have managers/ushers, or whomever, come through and throw out rude asses who should have saved their money and talked annoying at home in front of the tv. The hollywood side of it could be better movies, or we say f them and don't go. That'd certainly be a good start to the problem.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Now, give me a theater that allows 25 and up ONLY after 9:00 PM and I am there. I don't think the demographic that theaters are losing are the teenagers. 13-17 yr old kids want to get out of the house, be alone with their friends and see movies. The theater will always be a good drop off point for parents. That is why us 20-30 somethings are leaving the theater in droves to catch flicks at our cush loft apartments with people that we like being around.
The theater has alienated the generation that made them rich.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
S. Florida?
I can sit thru commercials. I can afford popcorn and candy. That's no big deal. But it's the obnoxious people sitting around you that ruin the whole deal. Cell-phone blockers would be a great start - but even adults can be rude and just kill the whole experience.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Also - for the person who said they should make it so only adults over 25 should be allowed in - I disagree - my husband and I and our friends are under 25 and we are very mature and well behaved people. I think it's ridiculas to have people supervisor other people at the movie theatre but people have lost their manners (it seems) and it really has come down to that.
While the experience of going out is worth spending money - I disagree with the prices. It's a movie - it's not like I'm seeing my favourite band in person - getting to experience live - or see my team in person winning and losing - it's just a recorded movie that 3 months later I can rent for $4.00 and watch it in my basement on my projected with comfy seats - proper room temperature with all my friends and no idiots - and best of good food!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Incidentally, I like to wait until movies are almost near the ends of their theater runs to go see them. The theaters tend to be filled more with people who actually want to see the movie. It still costs the same, but it reduces the "A-hole" factor in the audience.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
bla
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
bla
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
bla
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
bla
[ link to this | view in chronology ]