Amy: Welcome to today's podcast! We’re excited to dive into the world of interactive mini-games and understand how Play Spark is revolutionizing engagement for sports teams, athletes, and brands. Joining us today is Mr. Luke from Place Park. Welcome, Mr. Luke!
Mr. Luke: Thanks for having me, Amy! Excited to be here.
Amy: Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is Play Spark, and how does it benefit its users?
Mr. Luke: Sure! Play Spark is a platform that allows any sports team, athlete, or brand to create their own interactive mini-games. Think of the mobile games you see on an app store—we’ve essentially built a tool that makes it easy for anyone to create their own custom games using a simple drag-and-drop interface, similar to Canva. Users can modify all the elements within the game, and within just 10 to 15 minutes, they have a fully functional game that they can share with their audience.
The main problem we’re solving is accessibility. Traditionally, game development is costly and time-consuming. We wanted to remove those barriers so that anyone, regardless of budget, can create engaging mobile games. Since games are an incredibly powerful way to capture and retain attention, we’re helping brands and sports organizations tap into this potential and improve audience engagement in a more immersive way.
Amy: That sounds fascinating! Now, for those who might not be familiar with the concept, what exactly are interactive mini-games, and why are they becoming such a popular engagement strategy, especially in the sports and entertainment industry?
Mr. Luke: Great question! Interactive mini-games are simple, quick-to-play games that you can access instantly on your device—no downloads needed. Think of classic games like Tetris or Flappy Bird. These are short, engaging experiences where players can earn points, compete with others, and stay entertained.
In the sports and entertainment world, fan engagement is crucial. Traditionally, teams and brands have used quizzes, trivia, sweepstakes, and polls to interact with fans. While these methods are effective to some extent, they’re usually brief interactions. For example, a sweepstakes contest might only last 10 seconds—fans fill out a form, and a lucky few win a prize. However, that’s not a very immersive experience, and brands are looking for deeper, more meaningful engagement.
Mini-games offer a much richer experience. Instead of a 10-second interaction, we’re seeing engagement times of up to five minutes per game session. If a brand integrates its logo or messaging into a game, that means users are being exposed to it for much longer. Plus, brands can embed multiple interactive advertising elements, such as rewarded surveys, short video ads, or even playable branded content within the game itself.
Amy: That’s really interesting. So, it sounds like mini-games provide a better return on investment for sponsors while also keeping fans entertained for longer.
Mr. Luke: Exactly! Brands are becoming more selective with their sponsorships, especially as marketing budgets tighten. They want more value and measurable impact. With mini-games, brands get extended exposure and multiple touchpoints within a single gaming session. Not only does this boost awareness, but it also fosters a positive association between the brand and the audience.
For teams and athletes, mini-games offer a way to stay connected with fans beyond just game days. Fans can engage with these games year-round, even in the off-season, ensuring that teams and brands remain top-of-mind. That’s why we’re seeing major teams and brands moving into platforms like Roblox and Fortnite—they recognize the power of gaming in strengthening fan relationships and increasing engagement.
Amy: That’s a great point. It’s amazing how mini-games are evolving from just entertainment into a strategic engagement tool. Thanks for sharing your insights, Mr. Luke!
Amy: Building on that, what are some different types of mini-games that can enhance fan experience, particularly during live events or virtual broadcasts?
Mr. Luke: Great question! We’ve had a few activations in Australia with various sports teams. One example is with the Melbourne Renegades, a team in the Big Bash League for T20 cricket. They launched a branded cricket mini-game featuring their athletes. The team displayed a QR code on the big broadcast screen inside the stadium and placed additional QR codes around the venue. Fans could simply scan the code with their phone, open the game in their browser, and start playing immediately.
This allowed fans to engage with the game during innings breaks, before and after the match, or even if they were just looking for an interactive experience. We saw a similar setup with the ACT Brumbies, a rugby team, who used the same concept to engage their audience. The response was great, especially among teenagers, who were highly engaged with the games.
Beyond just adding entertainment value, these mini-games foster community engagement. Features like leaderboards create a sense of competition among fans, which brings them together. Compared to traditional sweepstakes, where fans simply enter their details and wait, mini-games provide a more immersive and social experience, making live events more engaging.
Looking ahead, we’re in discussions with an OTT platform that broadcasts live matches. They’re interested in integrating our games into their streaming service, allowing fans to scan a QR code while watching at home and play the game on their phone. This opens new monetization opportunities for brands, as they can sponsor these games and track engagement metrics to measure their effectiveness.
Amy: That’s fascinating! You also mentioned audience attention spans. Given that screen time is increasing, do you have any data on how long people typically engage with mini-games?
Mr. Luke: Yes, we’ve collected some insightful data on that. Recently, we ran a campaign around the AFL finals here in Australia. One of the country’s largest alcohol retailers partnered with us to create a mini-game called "Footy Flick," where players flicked a football at branded target cans.
The results were impressive! The average dwell time per session was around five minutes, and the average user played 15 sessions in total. That’s over an hour of engagement per user! This demonstrates the power of mini-games—not only do they capture attention, but they also encourage repeat engagement, providing brands and teams with an extended and meaningful way to connect with their audience.
Amy: okay, thank you Luke for sharing wonderful insights and joining us today let's stay connected for more understanding about sports technology in the future thank you once again Luke, hit that like button subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode and don't forget to share this podcast specifically with your friends family or the people who love sports technology.
