Server Mechanic – In the Real and in the Virtual Worlds

What is the most efficient way to attract computer geeks to play a game? It seems Affinity Internet came up with a very creative solution – create a game where they get to be … computer geeks!

Recently the leading web site, ecommerce and online marketing service provider for web professionals and small businesses launched Server Mechanic, a Flash-based advergame that moves IT professionals through four levels of speed-based, on-the-job scenarios that become increasingly more difficult. The IT-focused game will test players’ technical skills and allow them to win big prizes. In the first level called “Find the Beep” and designed in Pac-Man-style the player has to identify the broken server. Next, is a code-off where players race to enter a specific computer programming code. At all times players are threatened of being electrocuted.

Server Mechanic is a combination of brand and direct marketing and it has been designed to promote Affinity’s Web hosting service – www.gate.com – in an entertaining way. According to John Enright, vice president of marketing at Fort Lauderdale-based Affinity, “It’s [Server Mechanic] a balancing act. The No. 1 objective is that it’s entertaining. Our second objective is to get our message across.” Enright realizes that if the advergame seems too commercial and is not entertaining and fun enough to play the click rates and its chances of success will substantially decrease.

Server Mechanic keeps track of up-to-the-minute online rankings of the fastest players and their best times. At the end of each week, for nine weeks, prizes will be awarded to the top players with the fastest times. Awards will include the Xbox 360, T-shirts, domain names and free Web hosting service with Gate.com. At the end of the competition’s run, the player with the best overall time will automatically win a 32” LCD HDTV. In addition to that, every competitor is eligible to receive a 90-day free trial hosting with Gate.com, desktop wallpaper or be eligible to win an Xbox 360 via a random drawing. Unsurprisingly, since the purpose of the game is to increase awareness of and traffic to www.gate.com, the winners will be announced on the web site at the end of each week.

Even though there are ads for the game on selected tech sites and blogs, Server Mechanic relies mainly on the viral appeal of the game to grow its reach. The game provides players with the standard opportunity to send a link to the game to a friend, as well as the chance to challenge a friend to compete against them in real time over the web.

While lead generation is an aspect of the campaign, the company is hoping that the theme of the game – server mechanic as action hero – carries a deeper message to its audience. Executives at Affinity hope that the game will help them express their admiration and appreciation of the day-to-day efforts of this often invisible office heroes - the sever mechanics - to keep operations running smoothly.