B2b tech firm creates sims-like game experience

How do you motivate a computer programmer to complete a undertaking? Ply him with junk food, caffein, a few phone calls, nap time, and light exercising. That's the takeout of a new video-based virtual geek experience from Canadian middleware and beginning code company QNX software system Systems.

The firm's Pocket Geek microsite, created by Ottawa-based Fuel Industries, promotes QNX and its developer forum, metalworks 27. It characteristic a video animated cubicle inhabitant, "the first illumination developer in a box," with a undertaking to coating in one week. The game will be familiar to anyone who's played "The Sims" or had a Tamagotchi pet (define). Users must balance energy and motive to be sure the worker completes the undertaking within the allotted five days.

Once they play a round, site visitors are invited to fill out a form to submit their score to the leaderboard.

"We wanted something we knew we could track [that would] break through the jumble of what other companies do. You can't build a community through the print ad; that led us to a more sociable networking or viral programme," said Trisha Cooke, manager of selling at QNX.

After having done print campaigns in the past, QNX felt the necessity in devising the leap to the Web. "We've gone from doing print ad campaigns where you get one or two sec of time, to where you're averaging 300 sec of time and battle, that's a bonus fur us," Cooke continued.

Fuel Industries noted game-like experiences are more often deployed for consumer rather than B2B campaigns, but said there's no good ground for that. "Everyone consumes amusement," said Sean MacPhedran, director of creative strategy at Fuel Industries. "Instead of engaging someone with one print feeling in a print mag, we can engage them for 10 to 15 min."

Other characteristic on The Pocket Geek site include links to a white paper, a leaderboard and the chance to win a $1,000 prize package that includes PlayStation 3 and iPod Touch.. "It was designed so the main layer is the entertainment, but we recognized there is a lot of information about QNX to deliver to an expert," MacPhedran said, adding the site was "made for geeks by geeks, but the intent is also to have a larger reach and improve the awareness of QNX a little."

The program runs through May. In the first nine days of the site's launch, word-of-mouth, links from the QNX and Foundry 27 sites, and an online banner campaign drew visitors from every continent except Antarctica.