Play the Gamer is the UK's first national console gaming league which seeks to encourage people who have an interest in console gaming along to their local pub.
The format brings together host venues and gamers to create a locally-based weekly gaming nights for four 12-week leagues a season.
Piers Corfield, commercial director of Living it Loving it explains why he thinks pubs should get involved: "In the current climate of pub closures, and in the wake of a poor World Cup season for the beleagered UK licensed trade, Living it Loving it Limited is launching an entertainment night which brings together the licensed trade and the enormously successful video gaming sector, for the first time. Play the Gamer is the UK's first national console gaming league which is designed to re-engage large numbers of consumers for whom the local pub holds diminishing attraction and little or no relevance. The average age of UK pub consumers remains stubbornly above 40 and, if anything, is rising.
"While many mistakenly believe that gamers are all disengaged adolsencents or students, the demographics of the industry bely such a view (according to the Telegraph 32% of the UK population now regard themselves as gamers, and as many as 41% of them are women)."
The revenue model for the league is simple; each venue pays £65 per month to participate, and each player contributes £1 per week which is ring-fenced for the prize pool (guaranteed to be no less than £30,000 for Season 1). The league structure is based on the national league platform developed for Poker in the Pub, with an online venue/player management system. This system facilitates the processing of players from recruitment, to local venue allocation, to dynamic league table generation.
If you'd like to find out more about hosting Play the Gamer nights in your pub, and see how they work in person, come along to The Casino at The Empire, Leicester Square from this Friday (3rd September 10am-4.30pm) and meet the Loving it Loving it team.
For more information, visit: www.playthegamer.com/