Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Traveled back to Birmingham yesterday to speak to the Vestavia Hills Rotary Club. The topic was the iTest. I thanked the Rotary Club for their years of support of Vestavia Hills academic teams, and the incredible dedication they've shown by hosting the Rotary Roast (and other fundraising events) year after year. The talk went great, lots of questions about the iTest, and several folks volunteering to help out in various ways.
Pondering heading out to Titans training camp this afternoon...either way, nice to have a brief moment to relax before a grueling week next week.
Pondering heading out to Titans training camp this afternoon...either way, nice to have a brief moment to relax before a grueling week next week.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
From my 7/23 email regarding creation of The Score Holdings LLC and the start of a new business:
Friends and family,
Lori and I are happy to announce the formation of a new business venture - "The Score." Also, this week we have closed with an investor, who has purchased a significant portion of the business, providing seed capital to move forward.
What follows is a description of the business and a little of the strategy behind it. Also included after my letter is a sample list of The Score launch events, which I think most would find interesting. I am sending this to people I think will be interested in this news, as starting a business is the fulfilling of a dream for me, but please feel free to forward to others as necessary.
The Score (formally organized as The Score Holdings LLC and to be formally recognized along with location, e.g. "The Score - Nashville") is an entertainment and recreation-based retail concept. The Score will use video games in a variety of formats to create structured, highly organized activities and experiences for all ages within a retail location in a strip mall or retail center, the first of which will open in the Cool Springs/Franklin area of Nashville, Tennessee, by the end of the calendar year. Fortunately, there is no business like this within (at minimum) a 50-mile radius of the Cool Springs Galleria and the fast-growing Cool Springs commercial district, although that can't be said for more major metropolitan areas in the US.
I intend on seeking out key sponsors to partner with us on some of our events, e.g. Nissan or Saturn (Nissan's $100M US headquarters just opened in Cool Springs this week, while Saturn has a large presence in the area) about sponsoring our Mario Kart tournament, or talking with Gibson (another big Nashville company) about sponsoring our Guitar Hero or Rock Band events.
Tournaments will be held daily, and scheduled like movies to occur at set times. Potential customers can pick up a calendar of events (or find it online), much in the way someone might browse the newspaper for movie times, and instead of showing up to buy tickets ahead of time, people come and buy their ticket to a tournament to secure their place in the event before it sells out.
These tournaments will be held in "The Arena," a circular space centrally located within The Score to facilitate video game competition like never before. Also located within The Score are various Game Stations where patrons can try out the latest games, attempt to beat a high score in one of our monthly Challenges (which are documented on posted "Scoreboards" within each location), or accumulate "Scorepoints" (similar to the ever-popular 'Achievements' in various games) all in an effort to claim video game supremacy and bragging rights within the entire city of Nashville...or perhaps just within the family.
Our tournaments will be priced similarly to movies in the theater – anywhere between $10 and $15 per person on average for a tournament that will last approximately 2-2.5 hours. "Free play" on our gaming stations will carry an hourly fee, and party packages will be available, but the main revenue stream will be from our tournaments and other events. Snacks and drinks will be for sale (cheaper than a movie theater), and merchandise will also be available for purchase. A membership program will allow frequent customers to pay a monthly fee in exchange for discounts as well as access to members-only events. Additionally, current video game consoles and software titles, which are available for play in The Score, will also be available for purchase by our customers. We don't want to do the work of introducing new people to the latest videogame, only to have them walk out the door and fork over $$ to GameStop or Best Buy to purchase software for home use.
The economy is in recession, but in recession, there is still opportunity. Video games have proven themselves to be "recession-proof," as demonstrated by booming profits and growing sales volumes, and the success of the Nintendo Wii has muted the stigmas that used to exist for playing video games. No longer "child's play," video games now reach deep into demographics that were previously unfathomable, such as senior citizens in retirement communities.
Video games have succeeded in a down market by winning the "dollars per entertainment hour" ratio over other substitutes, such as movies or music. For The Score to be successful, our tournaments and events will have to compare favorably in this regard as well.
The Score will have predictable traffic of high school and college-aged males playing the latest games, sure, but will cast a wider net through corporate teambuilding events, business vs. business competition, and events specifically targeted to non-traditional gaming groups (e.g. women's groups, senior citizens). This will ensure a wide swath of both "casual gamers" and "hardcore gamers" as customers and should help the business achieve favorable utilization rates even during days while kids are in school.
The Score will reach out to the community, offering a monthly free class to parents called "Videogames 101: How to Protect Your Child." This class will educate parents on the strengths and weaknesses of video game use in terms of child development. The content for this class will cover various topics such as online interactivity within video games, the ESRB ratings board (and what the ratings mean), problem solving within video games, and suggestions for games based on age. This class will either be conducted on-site at The Score or at a nearby community center.
As the popularity of online 'multiplayer' video game play has swelled, so has the collective understanding that parents can't protect children online from racial slurs, inappropriate conduct, and even child predators. In addition, from a typical gamer's point of view, online interaction can become tiresome and does not grant you the ability to enjoy, in person, the thrill of victory. These factors and more indicate that online video game play, while growing in popularity, does not stand in the way of a venture like this.
Music and movies both have venues for the enjoyment of "live" entertainment - why not video games, which is a bigger industry than music and movies combined?
As we embark on what will certainly be an adventure, your support and your prayers are important to us. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, feel free to fire me an email.
Thanks,
Bradley
The Score: Launch Tournaments and Events
(Member discount extends to teams with 50% or more members than non-members; trophies may be exchanged as necessary with free merchandise received from vendors or free games received from iGames.org alliance as necessary to support sales.)
You Can't Make Mii!(tm) Mii Design Competition (ages 6-12)
Cost: $10; free for members
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: 8 contestants compete to design the most accurate-looking Mii by using the Nintendo Wii's Mii design software. Contestants receive a list of three possible Mii design choices (e.g. Abraham Lincoln, Mario, or George Clooney) and must design one in 10 minutes. The Mii is judged by The Score staff using the criteria of Accuracy, Creativity, and Fun to assign point scores out of 10 (1 being bad, 10 being great). Each contestant receives a different list of three Mii choices, in order to prevent any contestant from copying another. The top two contestants face off against one another, designing the same Mii (as determined by The Score staff) simultaneously during a 10-minute final round. The best Mii (as judged by the same criteria as the previous round) wins the tournament.
Levels: n/a
Settings: default Mii design settings
Total Tournament Time: 90 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to the runner-up; trophy to the winner
Wii Love Geographii! Geography Competition (ages 6-12)
Cost: $10; free for members
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 1/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: 8 contestants compete in a head-to-head geography bee using the Nintendo Wii's built-in globe software (under the "Forecast Channel"). Four one-on-one matchups comprise the first round, where each contestant squares off against another to move the map from The Score's location (e.g. Nashville, Tennessee) to a given geographic location. First contestant to locate five geographic locations faster than his or her opponent wins each round. Winners of each round advance to the next head-to-head round until only one winner remains.
Levels: n/a
Settings: default Wii Forecast Channel settings; start city of Nashville
Total Tournament Time: 60 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to the runner up; trophy to the winner
Halo 3 - Not-Free-For-All Free-For-All (tm)
Cost: $10; free for members
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 8/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Every man for himself in Halo 3. Four 8-person free-for-all 10-minute matches comprise the qualifying round, where the top two point-scoring contestants advance to Round 2 (for a total of 8 contestants advancing). Round 2 involves four one-on-one matches of 10 minutes apiece, with the winner (by points) advancing to the semifinals. The remaining four contestants will battle head-to-head in 10-minute matches, and the two winners will face off in the final round in one final 10-minute match.
Levels: Last Resort (Round 1), Snowbound (Rounds 2 and 3), The Pit (Round 4)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 110 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Halo 3 - Off To The Races! (tm)
Cost: $20 per team (of 2); $10 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32 teams
GamerScale: 6/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Halo 3 "Rocket Race" tournament. Eight qualifying matches (4 teams per match) last 7 minutes apiece, with the top two teams (as determined by points) advancing to Round 2. Round 2 features four matches (4 teams per match) of 7 minutes apiece, with only the top team advancing to Round 3. Round 3, the final round, features all four remaining teams vying for the championship, with the top points scorer in a round of 15 minutes emerging victorious.
Levels: Sandtrap (Round 1), Valhalla (Round 2), High Ground (Round 3)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 99 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning team; $25 ScoreCards and trophies to the winning team
Halo 3 - 4x4 Mass Warfare (tm)
Cost: $50 per team (of 4); $40 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 10/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Halo 3 "Team Slayer" single-elimination tournament. 10-minute rounds.
Levels: Epitaph (Rounds 1 and 2), Isolation (Round 3), Guardian (Round 4), Narrows (Round 5)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 310 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random participant on a non-winning team; $25 ScoreCards and trophies to the winning team
Living In The Past (tm): Old School Olympics
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 5/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Fight for old-school gaming bragging rights across three classic titles. First, how many points can you score in the original Super Mario Bros. (NES) with just one life? Second, how many points can you score in a game of Tecmo Bowl (NES)? Finally, how many points can you score in Donkey Kong (NES) without losing a life? Each player is ranked, from 1st through 8th, in each event, and the winner is determined by taking the average rank across all three games. Any ties will be broken by using Super Mario Bros. game performance, then Tecmo Bowl performance, then Donkey Kong performance, in order until a winner is determined. In the event that a player has not lost a life in Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong after 10 minutes of active participation in the game, a 1st place finish in that game will be awarded.
Levels: As listed in description
Settings: Default game settings
Total Tournament Time: 120 minutes
Prizes: NES cartridge of Super Mario Bros., Tecmo Bowl, or Donkey Kong, along with commemorative trophy, for the winner
Living In The Past (tm): Pac-Man
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Live in the past by competing for dominance in Pac-Man. The player with the highest score wins.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; "Championship Mode" on Pac-Man Championship Edition (Xbox Live Arcade) to be used
Total Tournament Time: 80 minutes
Prizes: Pac-Man-themed merchandise for a random non-winning participant; Pac-Man-themed merchandise along with trophy for winner
Strikes, Spares, but No Shoes: The Score's Wii Sports Bowling Tournament (tm)
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 64
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Four Game Stations
Description: Wii Sports bowling tournament. Groups of 16 are assembled at four different Gaming Stations and take turns playing (in groups of 4). The winner of each 4-person game will advance to the next round, and in the event of a tie, both participants will advance. The remaining 16 (or potentially more) contestants will again separate into groups of 4 and compete, with the winner of each group of 4 advancing. With the final group of 4 remaining, the winner of the final round is the champion. In the event of a tie in the final round, a frame-by-frame playoff will be held to determine a winner.
Levels: Wii Sports bowling
Settings: Default game settings
Total Tournament Time: 100 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise for a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy for the winner
Call of Duty 4 - Not-Free-For-All Free-For-All (tm)
Cost: $10; free for members
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 8/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Every man for himself in Call of Duty 4. Four 8-person free-for-all 10-minute matches comprise the qualifying round, where the top two point-scoring contestants advance to Round 2 (for a total of 8 contestants advancing). Round 2 involves four one-on-one matches of 10 minutes apiece, with the winner (by points) advancing to the semifinals. The remaining four contestants will battle head-to-head in 10-minute matches, and the two winners will face off in the final round in one final 10-minute match.
Levels: Wet Work (Round 1), Backlot (Rounds 2 and 3), Showdown (Round 4)
Settings: Default Call of Duty 4 settings
Total Tournament Time: 110 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Call of Duty 4 - Sabotage at The Score (tm)
Cost: $50 per team (of 4); $40 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 9/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Teams of 4 battle for victory in the Sabotage game type of Call of Duty 4. Each round pits team against team in 7-minute matches to plant the bomb on the opposing team's base. Planting the bomb grants a team the right to move on to the next round; if neither team plants the bomb in the allotted time, the team with the most combined points will advance. In the (rare) event of a tie in points, neither team will advance (which will result in a team in the next round receiving a bye instead of playing another team). Play continues across 5 rounds until a champion is declared.
Levels: Countdown (Rounds 1 and 2), Broadcast (Rounds 3 and 4), Creek (Round 5)
Settings: Default Call of Duty 4 Sabotage settings
Total Tournament Time: 217 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophies to each member of the winning team
Call of Duty 4 - The Four C's (tm)
Cost: $60 per team (of 4); $50 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 9/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Teams of 4 compete to be the best at Call of Duty 4's Search and Destroy game type. Teams battle head-to-head in a single-elimination tournament, as the winner of each Search and Destroy round (as determined by the game type's best of 7 format) advance to the next round. Play continues through 4 successive rounds until one team remains undefeated.
Levels: Countdown (Round 1), Crash (Round 2), Creek (Round 3), Chinatown (Round 4)
Settings: Default Call of Duty Search and Destroy settings
Total Tournament Time: 225 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophies to each member of the winning team
Trivia Night at The Score (tm)
Cost: $30 per team (of 2); $20 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 12 and up
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Game Stations
Description: Teams of 2 vie for the trivia crown by competing in two separate games: Wits and Wagers (Xbox 360) and TV Show King (Wii). Teams split up, with one member of each team participating in both games. Each team's points (equal to the number of wins in either game) are added together, and the team with the most points wins the competition. Both games will feature a round-robin tournament in which each contestant plays twice. Winning a match (against 3 other contestants) results in a victory (and earning 1 point), while failing to come in first results in zero points.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default settings
Total Tournament Time: 192 minutes
Prizes: Trivia-related boardgame to a random non-winning participant; trivia-related boardgame and trophy to both members of the winning team
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Solo Smash at The Score (tm)
Cost: $15; $10 (for members)
Slots Available: 64 (computer opponents inserted as necessary to fill out 64 slots)
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: Individuals compete in a 64-person Super Smash Bros. Brawl solo tournament using the built-in Tourney Mode on two separate Wii consoles (32 contestants per game station). Each match will feature four contestants per match, with one winner emerging from each match until there are two semifinalists (one per tournament of 32 on each game station). The two finalists will then compete in a 5-minute timed match to determine the champion.
Levels: Random
Settings: Default Tourney Mode settings / default Super Smash Bros. Brawl settings
Total Tournament Time: 130 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy for the runner-up; $30 ScoreCard and trophy for the winner
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Home Run Derby Duo (tm)
Cost: $15 per team (of 2); $10 per team (for members)
Slots Available: 20
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Teams of 2 compete to hit the Super Smash Bros. Brawl punching bag the farthest as part of the game's built-in Home Run Derby mini-game. Each team plays two Home Run games (counting only each team's highest score), with teams competing in a randomly selected order. The team with the best score wins.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default Home Run mini-game settings
Total Tournament Time: 45 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy to each member of the winning team
Rock Band Round Robin (tm)
Cost: $60 per team (of 4); $50 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 12
GamerScale(tm): 5/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Rock Band teams of 4 take turns playing pre-selected songs to determine a musical champion. Each "band" of 4 people plays a total of 3 songs and the team with the highest point total wins the tournament.
Levels: Songs to be determined and announced at the time of the event
Settings: Normal difficulty for all players
Total Tournament Time: 180 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; prize via sponsorship TBD (Gibson?) and trophies for winning team
One Guitar Hero, Many Guitar Villains (tm)
Cost: $30; $20 (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale(tm): 10/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations (qualifying round), The Arena (head-to-head elimination rounds)
Description: Up to 32 individuals compete to become the Guitar Hero - The Score's store champion. Participants play a pre-determined song at a Gaming Station, with the Top 16 (of the participating 32) moving on to the next round. The tournament then enters head-to-head elimination rounds in The Arena until a winner is determined.
Levels: Songs to be determined and announced at the time of the event
Settings: Hard difficulty (qualifying round), Expert difficulty (head-to-head elimination rounds)
Total Tournament Time: 155 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; prize (guitar?) via sponsorship TBD (Gibson?) and trophies for winning team
Grand Prix on the Wii (tm): Mario Kart Single Elimination Tournament
Cost: $25; $20 (for members)
Slots Available: 64
GamerScale(tm): 6/10
Facilities: 4 Gaming Stations (qualifying rounds), The Arena
Description: Gamers compete in a single-elimination Mario Kart Wii tournament. Qualifying rounds consisting of 8 contestants apiece take place on four Gaming Stations, with the top 2 of each round advancing. The top 16 are broken into two groups of 8, again with the top 2 advancing. The top 4 compete in a final round, taking place in The Arena, with the winner claiming the championship. Each round is four races in length, with the tracks pre-determined at the time of the event.
Levels: To be determined at the time of the event
Settings: Default Mario Kart Wii settings
Total Tournament Time: 90 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; nice prize via sponsorship TBD (Nissan or Saturn?) and trophies for the winning team
Home Cooking (tm): NCAA Football 2009
Cost: $10; $5 (for members or for non-members playing as Vanderbilt or MTSU); $1 (for members playing as Vanderbilt or MTSU)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Select a local team and compete for bragging rights in NCAA Football 2009. Head-to-head competition across 4 rounds.
Levels: Homefield advantage given to the worse team, as determined by NCAA Football 2009 in-game team ratings. Any ties in overall rating are to be broken by coin flip.
Settings: 2 minute quarters (Rounds 1-3); 4 minute quarters (Round 4); default difficulty and game settings
Total Tournament Time: 128 minutes
Prizes: University-sponsored prizes for random non-winning participants; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to winner
Home Cooking (tm): Madden 2009
Cost: $10; $5 (for members or for non-members playing as the Tennessee Titans); $1 (for members playing as the Tennessee Titans)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Select a local team and compete for bragging rights in Madden 2009. Head-to-head competition across 4 rounds.
Levels: Homefield advantage given to the worse team, as determined by Madden 2009 in-game team ratings. Any ties in overall rating are to be broken by coin flip.
Settings: 2 minute quarters (Rounds 1-3); 4 minute quarters (Round 4); default difficulty and game settings
Total Tournament Time: 128 minutes
Prizes: Titans-sponsored prizes for random non-winning participants; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to winner
Bombs Away (tm)
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 5/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Bomberman single-elimination tournament. Each match pairs up 4 players at a time competing to be the last Bomberman standing, with the winner advancing to the next round. The winner on each Game Station ("West" and "East") will match up for a Championship Round to determine a winner.
Levels: Randomly selected
Settings: Bomberman Live! (Xbox Live Arcade) default settings; first to 3 victories wins a given round
Total Tournament Time: 150 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise for a random non-winning participant; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Beat The Clock: Super Mario Bros. 1
Cost: $12; $7 (for members)
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Can you beat the clock in Super Mario Bros. 1 (NES)? Defeat the game by going from world 1-1 through defeating Bowser in world 8-4, in 10 minutes or less, and claim a prize.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; warps and naturally-occurring glitches in the game may be exploited
Total Tournament Time: 80 minutes
Prizes: Special prize TBD along with trophy for each winner
Beat The Clock: Super Mario World
Cost: $12; $7 (for members)
Slots Available: 5
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Can you beat the clock in Super Mario World (SNES)? Defeat the game by going from Yoshi's Island, through the legendary Star World, all the way to Bowser's Castle and defeating the big guy in less than 20 minutes, and claim a prize.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; warps and naturally-occurring glitches in the game may be exploited
Total Tournament Time: 100 minutes
Prizes: Special prize TBD along with trophy for each winner
Friends and family,
Lori and I are happy to announce the formation of a new business venture - "The Score." Also, this week we have closed with an investor, who has purchased a significant portion of the business, providing seed capital to move forward.
What follows is a description of the business and a little of the strategy behind it. Also included after my letter is a sample list of The Score launch events, which I think most would find interesting. I am sending this to people I think will be interested in this news, as starting a business is the fulfilling of a dream for me, but please feel free to forward to others as necessary.
The Score (formally organized as The Score Holdings LLC and to be formally recognized along with location, e.g. "The Score - Nashville") is an entertainment and recreation-based retail concept. The Score will use video games in a variety of formats to create structured, highly organized activities and experiences for all ages within a retail location in a strip mall or retail center, the first of which will open in the Cool Springs/Franklin area of Nashville, Tennessee, by the end of the calendar year. Fortunately, there is no business like this within (at minimum) a 50-mile radius of the Cool Springs Galleria and the fast-growing Cool Springs commercial district, although that can't be said for more major metropolitan areas in the US.
I intend on seeking out key sponsors to partner with us on some of our events, e.g. Nissan or Saturn (Nissan's $100M US headquarters just opened in Cool Springs this week, while Saturn has a large presence in the area) about sponsoring our Mario Kart tournament, or talking with Gibson (another big Nashville company) about sponsoring our Guitar Hero or Rock Band events.
Tournaments will be held daily, and scheduled like movies to occur at set times. Potential customers can pick up a calendar of events (or find it online), much in the way someone might browse the newspaper for movie times, and instead of showing up to buy tickets ahead of time, people come and buy their ticket to a tournament to secure their place in the event before it sells out.
These tournaments will be held in "The Arena," a circular space centrally located within The Score to facilitate video game competition like never before. Also located within The Score are various Game Stations where patrons can try out the latest games, attempt to beat a high score in one of our monthly Challenges (which are documented on posted "Scoreboards" within each location), or accumulate "Scorepoints" (similar to the ever-popular 'Achievements' in various games) all in an effort to claim video game supremacy and bragging rights within the entire city of Nashville...or perhaps just within the family.
Our tournaments will be priced similarly to movies in the theater – anywhere between $10 and $15 per person on average for a tournament that will last approximately 2-2.5 hours. "Free play" on our gaming stations will carry an hourly fee, and party packages will be available, but the main revenue stream will be from our tournaments and other events. Snacks and drinks will be for sale (cheaper than a movie theater), and merchandise will also be available for purchase. A membership program will allow frequent customers to pay a monthly fee in exchange for discounts as well as access to members-only events. Additionally, current video game consoles and software titles, which are available for play in The Score, will also be available for purchase by our customers. We don't want to do the work of introducing new people to the latest videogame, only to have them walk out the door and fork over $$ to GameStop or Best Buy to purchase software for home use.
The economy is in recession, but in recession, there is still opportunity. Video games have proven themselves to be "recession-proof," as demonstrated by booming profits and growing sales volumes, and the success of the Nintendo Wii has muted the stigmas that used to exist for playing video games. No longer "child's play," video games now reach deep into demographics that were previously unfathomable, such as senior citizens in retirement communities.
Video games have succeeded in a down market by winning the "dollars per entertainment hour" ratio over other substitutes, such as movies or music. For The Score to be successful, our tournaments and events will have to compare favorably in this regard as well.
The Score will have predictable traffic of high school and college-aged males playing the latest games, sure, but will cast a wider net through corporate teambuilding events, business vs. business competition, and events specifically targeted to non-traditional gaming groups (e.g. women's groups, senior citizens). This will ensure a wide swath of both "casual gamers" and "hardcore gamers" as customers and should help the business achieve favorable utilization rates even during days while kids are in school.
The Score will reach out to the community, offering a monthly free class to parents called "Videogames 101: How to Protect Your Child." This class will educate parents on the strengths and weaknesses of video game use in terms of child development. The content for this class will cover various topics such as online interactivity within video games, the ESRB ratings board (and what the ratings mean), problem solving within video games, and suggestions for games based on age. This class will either be conducted on-site at The Score or at a nearby community center.
As the popularity of online 'multiplayer' video game play has swelled, so has the collective understanding that parents can't protect children online from racial slurs, inappropriate conduct, and even child predators. In addition, from a typical gamer's point of view, online interaction can become tiresome and does not grant you the ability to enjoy, in person, the thrill of victory. These factors and more indicate that online video game play, while growing in popularity, does not stand in the way of a venture like this.
Music and movies both have venues for the enjoyment of "live" entertainment - why not video games, which is a bigger industry than music and movies combined?
As we embark on what will certainly be an adventure, your support and your prayers are important to us. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, feel free to fire me an email.
Thanks,
Bradley
The Score: Launch Tournaments and Events
(Member discount extends to teams with 50% or more members than non-members; trophies may be exchanged as necessary with free merchandise received from vendors or free games received from iGames.org alliance as necessary to support sales.)
You Can't Make Mii!(tm) Mii Design Competition (ages 6-12)
Cost: $10; free for members
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: 8 contestants compete to design the most accurate-looking Mii by using the Nintendo Wii's Mii design software. Contestants receive a list of three possible Mii design choices (e.g. Abraham Lincoln, Mario, or George Clooney) and must design one in 10 minutes. The Mii is judged by The Score staff using the criteria of Accuracy, Creativity, and Fun to assign point scores out of 10 (1 being bad, 10 being great). Each contestant receives a different list of three Mii choices, in order to prevent any contestant from copying another. The top two contestants face off against one another, designing the same Mii (as determined by The Score staff) simultaneously during a 10-minute final round. The best Mii (as judged by the same criteria as the previous round) wins the tournament.
Levels: n/a
Settings: default Mii design settings
Total Tournament Time: 90 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to the runner-up; trophy to the winner
Wii Love Geographii! Geography Competition (ages 6-12)
Cost: $10; free for members
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 1/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: 8 contestants compete in a head-to-head geography bee using the Nintendo Wii's built-in globe software (under the "Forecast Channel"). Four one-on-one matchups comprise the first round, where each contestant squares off against another to move the map from The Score's location (e.g. Nashville, Tennessee) to a given geographic location. First contestant to locate five geographic locations faster than his or her opponent wins each round. Winners of each round advance to the next head-to-head round until only one winner remains.
Levels: n/a
Settings: default Wii Forecast Channel settings; start city of Nashville
Total Tournament Time: 60 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to the runner up; trophy to the winner
Halo 3 - Not-Free-For-All Free-For-All (tm)
Cost: $10; free for members
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 8/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Every man for himself in Halo 3. Four 8-person free-for-all 10-minute matches comprise the qualifying round, where the top two point-scoring contestants advance to Round 2 (for a total of 8 contestants advancing). Round 2 involves four one-on-one matches of 10 minutes apiece, with the winner (by points) advancing to the semifinals. The remaining four contestants will battle head-to-head in 10-minute matches, and the two winners will face off in the final round in one final 10-minute match.
Levels: Last Resort (Round 1), Snowbound (Rounds 2 and 3), The Pit (Round 4)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 110 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Halo 3 - Off To The Races! (tm)
Cost: $20 per team (of 2); $10 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32 teams
GamerScale: 6/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Halo 3 "Rocket Race" tournament. Eight qualifying matches (4 teams per match) last 7 minutes apiece, with the top two teams (as determined by points) advancing to Round 2. Round 2 features four matches (4 teams per match) of 7 minutes apiece, with only the top team advancing to Round 3. Round 3, the final round, features all four remaining teams vying for the championship, with the top points scorer in a round of 15 minutes emerging victorious.
Levels: Sandtrap (Round 1), Valhalla (Round 2), High Ground (Round 3)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 99 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning team; $25 ScoreCards and trophies to the winning team
Halo 3 - 4x4 Mass Warfare (tm)
Cost: $50 per team (of 4); $40 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 10/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Halo 3 "Team Slayer" single-elimination tournament. 10-minute rounds.
Levels: Epitaph (Rounds 1 and 2), Isolation (Round 3), Guardian (Round 4), Narrows (Round 5)
Settings: Default Halo 3 settings
Total Tournament Time: 310 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random participant on a non-winning team; $25 ScoreCards and trophies to the winning team
Living In The Past (tm): Old School Olympics
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale: 5/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Fight for old-school gaming bragging rights across three classic titles. First, how many points can you score in the original Super Mario Bros. (NES) with just one life? Second, how many points can you score in a game of Tecmo Bowl (NES)? Finally, how many points can you score in Donkey Kong (NES) without losing a life? Each player is ranked, from 1st through 8th, in each event, and the winner is determined by taking the average rank across all three games. Any ties will be broken by using Super Mario Bros. game performance, then Tecmo Bowl performance, then Donkey Kong performance, in order until a winner is determined. In the event that a player has not lost a life in Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong after 10 minutes of active participation in the game, a 1st place finish in that game will be awarded.
Levels: As listed in description
Settings: Default game settings
Total Tournament Time: 120 minutes
Prizes: NES cartridge of Super Mario Bros., Tecmo Bowl, or Donkey Kong, along with commemorative trophy, for the winner
Living In The Past (tm): Pac-Man
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Live in the past by competing for dominance in Pac-Man. The player with the highest score wins.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; "Championship Mode" on Pac-Man Championship Edition (Xbox Live Arcade) to be used
Total Tournament Time: 80 minutes
Prizes: Pac-Man-themed merchandise for a random non-winning participant; Pac-Man-themed merchandise along with trophy for winner
Strikes, Spares, but No Shoes: The Score's Wii Sports Bowling Tournament (tm)
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 64
GamerScale: 2/10
Facilities: Four Game Stations
Description: Wii Sports bowling tournament. Groups of 16 are assembled at four different Gaming Stations and take turns playing (in groups of 4). The winner of each 4-person game will advance to the next round, and in the event of a tie, both participants will advance. The remaining 16 (or potentially more) contestants will again separate into groups of 4 and compete, with the winner of each group of 4 advancing. With the final group of 4 remaining, the winner of the final round is the champion. In the event of a tie in the final round, a frame-by-frame playoff will be held to determine a winner.
Levels: Wii Sports bowling
Settings: Default game settings
Total Tournament Time: 100 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise for a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy for the winner
Call of Duty 4 - Not-Free-For-All Free-For-All (tm)
Cost: $10; free for members
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 8/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Every man for himself in Call of Duty 4. Four 8-person free-for-all 10-minute matches comprise the qualifying round, where the top two point-scoring contestants advance to Round 2 (for a total of 8 contestants advancing). Round 2 involves four one-on-one matches of 10 minutes apiece, with the winner (by points) advancing to the semifinals. The remaining four contestants will battle head-to-head in 10-minute matches, and the two winners will face off in the final round in one final 10-minute match.
Levels: Wet Work (Round 1), Backlot (Rounds 2 and 3), Showdown (Round 4)
Settings: Default Call of Duty 4 settings
Total Tournament Time: 110 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Call of Duty 4 - Sabotage at The Score (tm)
Cost: $50 per team (of 4); $40 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale: 9/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Teams of 4 battle for victory in the Sabotage game type of Call of Duty 4. Each round pits team against team in 7-minute matches to plant the bomb on the opposing team's base. Planting the bomb grants a team the right to move on to the next round; if neither team plants the bomb in the allotted time, the team with the most combined points will advance. In the (rare) event of a tie in points, neither team will advance (which will result in a team in the next round receiving a bye instead of playing another team). Play continues across 5 rounds until a champion is declared.
Levels: Countdown (Rounds 1 and 2), Broadcast (Rounds 3 and 4), Creek (Round 5)
Settings: Default Call of Duty 4 Sabotage settings
Total Tournament Time: 217 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophies to each member of the winning team
Call of Duty 4 - The Four C's (tm)
Cost: $60 per team (of 4); $50 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 9/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Teams of 4 compete to be the best at Call of Duty 4's Search and Destroy game type. Teams battle head-to-head in a single-elimination tournament, as the winner of each Search and Destroy round (as determined by the game type's best of 7 format) advance to the next round. Play continues through 4 successive rounds until one team remains undefeated.
Levels: Countdown (Round 1), Crash (Round 2), Creek (Round 3), Chinatown (Round 4)
Settings: Default Call of Duty Search and Destroy settings
Total Tournament Time: 225 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $25 ScoreCard and trophies to each member of the winning team
Trivia Night at The Score (tm)
Cost: $30 per team (of 2); $20 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 12 and up
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Game Stations
Description: Teams of 2 vie for the trivia crown by competing in two separate games: Wits and Wagers (Xbox 360) and TV Show King (Wii). Teams split up, with one member of each team participating in both games. Each team's points (equal to the number of wins in either game) are added together, and the team with the most points wins the competition. Both games will feature a round-robin tournament in which each contestant plays twice. Winning a match (against 3 other contestants) results in a victory (and earning 1 point), while failing to come in first results in zero points.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default settings
Total Tournament Time: 192 minutes
Prizes: Trivia-related boardgame to a random non-winning participant; trivia-related boardgame and trophy to both members of the winning team
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Solo Smash at The Score (tm)
Cost: $15; $10 (for members)
Slots Available: 64 (computer opponents inserted as necessary to fill out 64 slots)
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Two Game Stations
Description: Individuals compete in a 64-person Super Smash Bros. Brawl solo tournament using the built-in Tourney Mode on two separate Wii consoles (32 contestants per game station). Each match will feature four contestants per match, with one winner emerging from each match until there are two semifinalists (one per tournament of 32 on each game station). The two finalists will then compete in a 5-minute timed match to determine the champion.
Levels: Random
Settings: Default Tourney Mode settings / default Super Smash Bros. Brawl settings
Total Tournament Time: 130 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy for the runner-up; $30 ScoreCard and trophy for the winner
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Home Run Derby Duo (tm)
Cost: $15 per team (of 2); $10 per team (for members)
Slots Available: 20
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Teams of 2 compete to hit the Super Smash Bros. Brawl punching bag the farthest as part of the game's built-in Home Run Derby mini-game. Each team plays two Home Run games (counting only each team's highest score), with teams competing in a randomly selected order. The team with the best score wins.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default Home Run mini-game settings
Total Tournament Time: 45 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; $20 ScoreCard and trophy to each member of the winning team
Rock Band Round Robin (tm)
Cost: $60 per team (of 4); $50 per team (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 12
GamerScale(tm): 5/10
Facilities: The Arena
Description: Rock Band teams of 4 take turns playing pre-selected songs to determine a musical champion. Each "band" of 4 people plays a total of 3 songs and the team with the highest point total wins the tournament.
Levels: Songs to be determined and announced at the time of the event
Settings: Normal difficulty for all players
Total Tournament Time: 180 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; prize via sponsorship TBD (Gibson?) and trophies for winning team
One Guitar Hero, Many Guitar Villains (tm)
Cost: $30; $20 (for members)
Age Restriction: 17 and up (without parental consent)
Slots Available: 32
GamerScale(tm): 10/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations (qualifying round), The Arena (head-to-head elimination rounds)
Description: Up to 32 individuals compete to become the Guitar Hero - The Score's store champion. Participants play a pre-determined song at a Gaming Station, with the Top 16 (of the participating 32) moving on to the next round. The tournament then enters head-to-head elimination rounds in The Arena until a winner is determined.
Levels: Songs to be determined and announced at the time of the event
Settings: Hard difficulty (qualifying round), Expert difficulty (head-to-head elimination rounds)
Total Tournament Time: 155 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; prize (guitar?) via sponsorship TBD (Gibson?) and trophies for winning team
Grand Prix on the Wii (tm): Mario Kart Single Elimination Tournament
Cost: $25; $20 (for members)
Slots Available: 64
GamerScale(tm): 6/10
Facilities: 4 Gaming Stations (qualifying rounds), The Arena
Description: Gamers compete in a single-elimination Mario Kart Wii tournament. Qualifying rounds consisting of 8 contestants apiece take place on four Gaming Stations, with the top 2 of each round advancing. The top 16 are broken into two groups of 8, again with the top 2 advancing. The top 4 compete in a final round, taking place in The Arena, with the winner claiming the championship. Each round is four races in length, with the tracks pre-determined at the time of the event.
Levels: To be determined at the time of the event
Settings: Default Mario Kart Wii settings
Total Tournament Time: 90 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise to a random non-winning participant; nice prize via sponsorship TBD (Nissan or Saturn?) and trophies for the winning team
Home Cooking (tm): NCAA Football 2009
Cost: $10; $5 (for members or for non-members playing as Vanderbilt or MTSU); $1 (for members playing as Vanderbilt or MTSU)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Select a local team and compete for bragging rights in NCAA Football 2009. Head-to-head competition across 4 rounds.
Levels: Homefield advantage given to the worse team, as determined by NCAA Football 2009 in-game team ratings. Any ties in overall rating are to be broken by coin flip.
Settings: 2 minute quarters (Rounds 1-3); 4 minute quarters (Round 4); default difficulty and game settings
Total Tournament Time: 128 minutes
Prizes: University-sponsored prizes for random non-winning participants; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to winner
Home Cooking (tm): Madden 2009
Cost: $10; $5 (for members or for non-members playing as the Tennessee Titans); $1 (for members playing as the Tennessee Titans)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 4/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Select a local team and compete for bragging rights in Madden 2009. Head-to-head competition across 4 rounds.
Levels: Homefield advantage given to the worse team, as determined by Madden 2009 in-game team ratings. Any ties in overall rating are to be broken by coin flip.
Settings: 2 minute quarters (Rounds 1-3); 4 minute quarters (Round 4); default difficulty and game settings
Total Tournament Time: 128 minutes
Prizes: Titans-sponsored prizes for random non-winning participants; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to winner
Bombs Away (tm)
Cost: $10; $5 (for members)
Slots Available: 16
GamerScale(tm): 5/10
Facilities: 2 Gaming Stations
Description: Bomberman single-elimination tournament. Each match pairs up 4 players at a time competing to be the last Bomberman standing, with the winner advancing to the next round. The winner on each Game Station ("West" and "East") will match up for a Championship Round to determine a winner.
Levels: Randomly selected
Settings: Bomberman Live! (Xbox Live Arcade) default settings; first to 3 victories wins a given round
Total Tournament Time: 150 minutes
Prizes: The Score merchandise for a random non-winning participant; $15 ScoreCard and trophy to the winner
Beat The Clock: Super Mario Bros. 1
Cost: $12; $7 (for members)
Slots Available: 8
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Can you beat the clock in Super Mario Bros. 1 (NES)? Defeat the game by going from world 1-1 through defeating Bowser in world 8-4, in 10 minutes or less, and claim a prize.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; warps and naturally-occurring glitches in the game may be exploited
Total Tournament Time: 80 minutes
Prizes: Special prize TBD along with trophy for each winner
Beat The Clock: Super Mario World
Cost: $12; $7 (for members)
Slots Available: 5
GamerScale(tm): 7/10
Facilities: Game Station
Description: Can you beat the clock in Super Mario World (SNES)? Defeat the game by going from Yoshi's Island, through the legendary Star World, all the way to Bowser's Castle and defeating the big guy in less than 20 minutes, and claim a prize.
Levels: n/a
Settings: Default game settings; warps and naturally-occurring glitches in the game may be exploited
Total Tournament Time: 100 minutes
Prizes: Special prize TBD along with trophy for each winner
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Lori's submission to the Nashville Bar Journal was not only published, but made into their June cover story. Check it out here or by heading to NashvilleBar.org. Incredible!
More news to come within the next couple weeks...and by the way, the new Coldplay album is phenomenal...
More news to come within the next couple weeks...and by the way, the new Coldplay album is phenomenal...
