LAI Games, a manufacturer of arcade games, has introduced a mobile marketing element into its game portfolio.

The company?s popular Stacker game now offers players more than just the excitement of on-site play and prizes. Players can text in to for a chance to win in a major prize drawing. Calls to action are in banner advertisements online and in signage on actual arcade games. 

?The mobile innovation is one of the very first applications of mobile texting technology, something that virtually every teenage game player is familiar with, as an integrated element into the social networking and competitive aspects of arcade gaming,? said Peter Gustafson, general manager of U.S. operations at LAI, Singapore.

?We have seen an increase in both game play which is good for our operators, as well as branding attention to the game itself which helps us sell more new and exciting games," he said. 

LAI chose i-mobile marketing,  a Texas-based mobile company to help it develop the text-based enhancement.

When players play the Stacker game, they play in a normal fashion. But when a specific proficiency level is reached, a winning message and special winning text code appears on an LED display in the machine.

Players have the opportunity to text this winning code into a database maintained by i-mobile marketing, earning registration on the National Stacker Leader Board at http://www.StackerLeaders.com.

In addition, the player is entered into an LAI-sponsored sweepstakes to win a large prize in addition to the prizes that can be won at the machine. 

LAI?s first major prize winner from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area was able to take home a new 55-inch flat-screen television.

The program was implemented by i-mobile marketing and is a premium SMS program where players, choose to pay a premium text charge of $.49 to register the play and the standing on the National Stacker Leader Board as well as receiving the free sweepstakes entry. 

Players can also enter the sweepstakes via regular mail.

Graphics placed on each machine advise the player of how to play, text and win.

The Leader Board Web site and player database is maintained by i-mobile marketing and has player results updated on a real-time basis.

?This program for LAI Games is the first application marriage of mobile marketing, competitive game play, social networking and a sweepstakes that we have seen,? said Ron Maness, CEO of i-mobile marketing, Grapevine, TX.

?Its success as a direct-to-targeted consumer marketing tool illustrates how effectively a well designed program can address a targeted market,? he said. ?We are pleased to be LAI?s partner in this extraordinarily creative application.?