I recall of my first time entering the Boardwalk game store’s Woods Crossing location that it could not have felt more inviting. This observation was spurred significantly by the memories of the old Boardwalk, which had occupied the most remote corner of the nearby mall, all dim lighting and ceiling high shelves. In flight from that labyrintian installation, Boardwalk finally moved itself to a nearby strip mall where it can be surrounded by other thriving businesses and natural sunlight. In keeping with this move from out of the shadows, the Boardwalk of today is designed impeccably to welcome in any and all board game players and customers. Sales tactics range from special event game days, a comfortable playing area in the store's rear, and one particular element of visual media, a sales floor video screen. While this last point does not insist upon itself and would seem for all the world to be a negligible aspect of the store on the whole, it actually serves as a prime illustrator of the many ways Boardwalk is designed to appeal to its customers. This makes it a fascinating subject for observation and discussion.
When you first enter the store, it’s entirely possible that this lone video screen display will elude your attention. The brightly lit interior is arranged into several tightly stocked, shoulder high aisles, all perpendicular to the entrance so as to immediately invite the customer’s perusal. The aisles’ stock is basically organized by genre, with distinct sections for children’s games, puzzles, and card / board games grouped together by publisher. There’s a vague sense escalation to this arrangement, with the brighter, more accessible merchandise positioned near the front and two the right of the store, and the games becoming more complex or mature further towards the left wall. This illusion is considerably heightened by the left-most aisle’s strictly hardcore bent, its stock ranging from professional grade darts equipment to Dungeon & Dragons play sets and miniatures.
It’s in the midst of this section that our element of visual media finally makes its prescence known: a single, small video screen encased in a plastic black lockbox. Technically, the screen is just a standard Ipad, though this isn't immediately apparent as the lockbox obscures any trace of the device's frame, nor does it convey its actual depth. Were you to investigate the box, you might happen upon the sole means of interaction with the device housed within: a thin sliver along the top that allows for access to the volume toggle. It isn't very accommodating and in fact seems designed to make changing the volume as difficult as possible (this is quite likely intentional, as the volume of the display is a pivotal aspect of its installation). Peering around the device's side reveals a strange artifact: a porcelain gnome figure, standing guard perhaps over the box's single access lock. A playful bit of decoration in keeping with the atmosphere of the store, this item perhaps does act as a sort of security measure, if only by reinforcing the screen's intended place on the shelf.
The interlocking FF logo on the case’s base reveals its ultimate nature: this is the official media screener for Fantasy Flight games, the board game production company whose products comprise all of the shelf space surrounding the screen. These games, as previously stated, appear rather mature in nature, both by their consistently grim sci-fi / fantasy aesthetics and the apparent complexity of their game mechanics. The names on the boxes range from Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings to Arkham Horror and Battlestar Galactica. All together, these games purposefully exude the spirit and iconography of the classic style table top strategy and role playing games.
With such products as these looming densely before the consumer, the accompanying screen serves to provide the expected context. One after the other, media clips of a surprisingly slick nature play out, comprised of artfully rendered cinematic sequences and documentary style interviews with each game’s design team. Not only is the viewer made privy to the plot and mechanics of the game, but they are also treated to an in-depth look at the creative process that went into the game’s creation. This highly commercial means of attracting the customer’s attention is certainly engaging, though it does somewhat belie the matter of who these videos are actually for within the context of the Boardwalk store. For the more experienced board gamer, the type of person likely to invest in Fantasy Flight’s high end products without being intimidated by their intricacy or thematic content, the videos are surely telling them nothing they could not already know, or at least learn just as readily by other means.
With such products as these looming densely before the consumer, the accompanying screen serves to provide the expected context. One after the other, media clips of a surprisingly slick nature play out, comprised of artfully rendered cinematic sequences and documentary style interviews with each game’s design team. Not only is the viewer made privy to the plot and mechanics of the game, but they are also treated to an in-depth look at the creative process that went into the game’s creation. This highly commercial means of attracting the customer’s attention is certainly engaging, though it does somewhat belie the matter of who these videos are actually for within the context of the Boardwalk store. For the more experienced board gamer, the type of person likely to invest in Fantasy Flight’s high end products without being intimidated by their intricacy or thematic content, the videos are surely telling them nothing they could not already know, or at least learn just as readily by other means.
So then you come back to the less experienced gamer, who could more easily find themselves adrift amid all those thick boxes and esoteric titles. Regarding those boxes, it’s worth pointing out that, unlike the more “accessible” products located to the store’s right side, in the Fantasy Flight section they are almost all arranged with their side’s facing the customer, not presenting the titular front of the box nor the informative rear. Certainly this is more a matter of economic use of shelf space, but it also introduces an interesting dynamic for the personality of the video screen. With all those sideways boxes not immediately visible to the customer’s gaze, the frontward facing video screen serves as a window through which the customer may gather their bearings and learn of their surroundings. The video clips on display then set about the task of gradually introducing the customer to the surrounding games in a manner that recognizably draws upon cinematic and televisual experiences. Most importantly, the video works to impart on the customer the idea that these games, so potentially alienating to the board game layman, are comprehensible entities, capable of being grasped within the span of several minutes. By removing this barrier of entry, the customer is then primed and ready to pick the boxes off the shelves with an open and receptive mindset.
It’s furthermore important to take note of the screen’s placement within store, as there are several pivotal connections to the overall shopping experience to be made. As I stated earlier, the positioning of the aisles is such as to encourage browsing on the part of the consumer. With the implementation of this video screen, however, we find a cue for the customer not to move about but to submit themselves to a single location for extended periods of time. The videos displayed on the screen vary in length, but can be in excess of 10 minutes long. Furthermore, the functionality of the screen itself mandates that it be accessible from one immediate position. The screen is fairly flush with the shelving unit, so viewing from any position other than straight on is less than advantageous. This particular facet is somewhat irrelevant, however, as the volume of the screen is particularly low and really only audible when in prime proximity to the speakers; again, this forces you directly in front of the screen for as long as you wish to experience its projected media.
The intimate nature of the screen’s volume setting is deliberate and operates in service to specific ends. For one, it ensures that the overall ambiance of the store is not compromised. The Jimmy Johns located next door is a perfect example of what I’m getting at: even through the walls, the sound of the J.J. radio is clearly audible. This significant volume, I can attest from experience, is deliberate in its intended goal of encouraging high customer turnover. This is a natural strategy for any restaurant chain, where a solvent business strategy relies on a high volume of sales. With an institution like Boardwalk, where the stock is considerably more finite and expensive, the need for turnover is less pressing and so the aim instead turns to encouraging sustained engagement with the shopper. One wouldn't want the sound of the video distracting other customers or impeding direct sales attempts by the staff. Hence, the limited volume ensures the content of the video reaches only those who serve to be in its immediate range of influence.
The intimate nature of the screen’s volume setting is deliberate and operates in service to specific ends. For one, it ensures that the overall ambiance of the store is not compromised. The Jimmy Johns located next door is a perfect example of what I’m getting at: even through the walls, the sound of the J.J. radio is clearly audible. This significant volume, I can attest from experience, is deliberate in its intended goal of encouraging high customer turnover. This is a natural strategy for any restaurant chain, where a solvent business strategy relies on a high volume of sales. With an institution like Boardwalk, where the stock is considerably more finite and expensive, the need for turnover is less pressing and so the aim instead turns to encouraging sustained engagement with the shopper. One wouldn't want the sound of the video distracting other customers or impeding direct sales attempts by the staff. Hence, the limited volume ensures the content of the video reaches only those who serve to be in its immediate range of influence.
Still, this does bring about the apparent issue of incorporating a media display that requires its viewer to block off the aisle for the length of their viewing. This could potentially pose a logistical obstacle in the midst of the sales floor, especially considering the high foot traffic generated by the nearby checkout counter. However, there is a subtle synergy to this arrangement as well, and it lends this wing of the store an effective cohesiveness. That front sales counter isn't just a location for financial transactions, but also a spot for intimate and informative discourse between the staff and the consumer. The counter itself, a solid barrier that doubles as a display case positively resplendent in merchandise, affords the staff member an air of authority that can work to reassure the less confident shoppers who pass through. Add to this the duel function of the desktop computer / cash register, with its internet connection allowing for the investigation of any consumer inquiries not immediately within the staff's capacity to answer.
Of equal note, if somewhat less audacious, is the sturdy playing table positioned just across from the sales counter. This location is of great import to the sales staff of Boardwalk, as it functions as the primary setting for any impromptu game demonstrations that may be required. If a customer is curious as to the makeup or mechanics of a specific game, then it’s literally no trouble at all for an informed staffer to bring out a demo copy of the game (typically housed in a nearby cabinet or in the storage closet just down the adjacent aisle) for a quick demonstration. These shows of expertise work to ingratiate the customer towards the staff and the store on the whole, which has now assumed the air of a friendly hometown shop in spite of the high traffic urban surroundings. Together with this table and the front counter, the Fantasy Flight screen asserts itself as a low key means of instruction, and solicitation.
With all this emphasis towards customer interaction on the left wing of the Boardwalk store, the placement of the video screen now seems a lot more rational. It engages the customer in a one-on-one scenario in keeping with all the other transactions, and it facilitates a more leisured shopping experience without calling attention to itself. The style and authority of the videos boost the perception of legitimacy for Boardwalk on the whole, while the inherent simplicity of the display itself avoids feeling ostentatious and out of place. The video screen is of a piece with its surroundings, an impressive accomplishment given its singularity, and a contributing aspect of Boardwalks economical flow.