“Content isn’t king, it’s the kingdom.”

Since writing the article “Dare to be different” some four years ago, I’ve had a host of inquiries and conversations with many casinos’ executives. Who ask how they can be different, how can they stand out or make an impact and it’s refreshing to see a number of casinos have tried to make their casino floors pop.

But, have some managed to do this better than others?

If you want to be different from your competitors, think content! content! content! As this is the medium that talks and delivers the message to your customers. Then, plan how to drive that content to grab attention and make a difference.

When you’re buying new hardware or placing LED walls in and around your property, your thought should be equally on what you’re going to show, than just the hardware alone. Don’t get me wrong, the latest technology and super fine pitch LED is always great but when it comes down to the crunch, if the content is blurry and pixilated, you may as well save your money. 

In layman terms, when you reduce the pitch size in LED product, your total resolution size increases. This is great for quality but your content and system to drive it must match. Its false economics if you’re putting in an 8K resolution screen but then you skimp on the content. It really is all about balance but so many seem to fall into this trap.

It’s like shopping for art, you would look stupid blowing the budget on a frame and canvas and then displaying some knock-off of Van Gogh’s Daffodils printed off a HP Deskjet. So If I could offer some advice here, it would be to always think long term and remain flexible, technology changes fast. Content at least can be changed easily.

Content is where you tell your story and talk to your audience, touch their soul and immerse your guest into your realm. I think people often forget to do this after they have splashed out on the canvas. Content can be both entertaining and serve a purpose, whether that’s to make the place more interesting or to drive traffic to a specific destination.

A great example of content being used well is in the new Terminal 4 at Singapore airport. They made queuing for security so entertaining, it made me want to fly back there again just to see new scenes. (who would have thought waiting to be searched by security could be fun).

If you are looking for ways to WOW your guests, or make a statement to get your brand recognised, from small customised campaigns to large video or animated designs, whether its for large integrated resorts, shopping centres, museums or even airports. Talk to the team at idNerd Studios HK, they have the creative talent and knowhow and they are always open to discussing new projects on how to entertain your guests or how to get your message out there, using the the right technology and content.

Knowing how to entertain and impress your guests with content is certainly an art and the smart operators know they must constantly keep reinventing themselves to stay ahead of the game. So, it’s important that any system you buy can deliver the content you need and be both flexible and scalable to allow you to update it easily when needed.

MGM Cotai Macau for example, opened its doors in 2018 with an impressive array of digital media screens of all shapes and sizes surrounding their grand Spectacle space, it was awesome to see. They knew that art is a great attraction and it didn’t take them long to start updating their content to keep their Spectacle exciting and fresh with new artwork. It was a certainly a pleasure for our team at idNerd to be involved with MGMs creative team, creating some exciting interactive content for their guests to remember.

Creative content used on a myriad of LED screens over two levels at the MGM Cotai, Spectacle, from simple but effective virtual decorations to the animated interactivity of a Goldberg machine.

You can create content that either blends into the design of rooms or opens them up as a new world of wonders (much like that interior design trick of using mirrors to open up a small space) Creating something that will make you want to return again and again or watch for hours. Remember, don’t hold back your imagination, keep the content updated to stop your guest getting bored, most importantly don’t let it turn monotonous like an old PC screen saver.

Above shows the expanse of LED used at Genting highlands recent development shows just how space can be brought to life with creativity and content.

Unfortunately, in the gaming arena, we often see less creativity but it doesn’t always have to be the case. Our X-Stadium media system was developed to create a WOW factor to compliment gaming and help drive revenue for ETG products. It has the capability of delivering a multitude of content to any number of devices using our trademarked “One Canvas” philosophy and is perfect for content delivery on a large scale.

Besides being a seamless integration device for gaming, X-Stadium allows flexibility in layouts and content allowing each venue the ability of unlimited creativity. By continually improving the performance of products, developing new content for features like the “Hot Trends”, “Hot Tables” and the “Lucky Six” modules, we provide customised relevant content in an entertaining way for Macau casino customers.

Macau is a highly competitive landscape, 41 casinos all vying for the same market. As everyone’s core product is basically the same, allowing venues to totally customise their gaming content and displaying various marketing opportunities gives venues a competitive advantage which helps maximise their potential to build brand loyalty.

As Macau and other places slowly try to build back the business from the effects of Covid19, the big Question will be “how to WOW the “new normal” customers?.” Will adding bigger screens or monolithic sign structures be a great strategy without the thought of flexibility and the thought of some great content?.

Casino operators certainly need to be creative in 2020, planning budgets wisely to maximise returns, especially when revenue streams are not flowing as they once were. In retrospect getting creative changing content can be can be a more economical improvement.

I have no doubt that Macau will survive this current storm, as it welcomes its 42nd casino to its ever changing landscape. IDX games looks forward to its continued partnership with operators, executing innovation and working with creative teams delivering gaming and non-gaming content that keeps Macau new and exciting for every visitor.

If you haven’t got the message of the story by now (from the intended, many uses of the word) Content is King, and its only you’re imagination that can make you’re Kingdom.