 or video-game fanatics, strolling through booths and pocketing tchotchkes is about as exciting as playing Ms. Pac-Man. Gamers demand high-energy adventure and escapism. And the closer they are to the action, the better. |
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| Microsoft chose Alph Leydon, vice president of design at The Taylor Group, to design its next gaming exhibit because he has a handle on gamers — and a knack for creating award-winning exhibit design. Coming off a win in last year’s Design Awards competition, Leydon set out to top his 2001 design, which launched Microsoft’s XBox computer gaming system. This time around, Microsoft wanted the buzz at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles to be about the depth and variety of XBox games. This meant immersing gamers in the action, i.e. giving them the chance to play almost every game Microsoft has to offer. Leydon’s solution drops the attendees smack-dab in the middle of the adventure by integrating a whopping 152 gaming stations spread throughout the 100-by-200-foot exhibit. Attendees can battle everything from aliens to NFL linebackers. The biggest challenge, Leydon says, was creating the themed components while the game developers were still tweaking the look, feel, and function of their games. “We were building one piece at a time, and developers worked on the games until the last minute.” Last-minute or not, the result delivered what gamers want most — a piece of the action.  |
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| Double-Deck — Less Than $150/sq. ft. Microsoft XBox, GMR MarketingDesign/Fabrication The Taylor Group, Toronto; 800-605-6519; www.taylorinc.com E3 2002 $83,000 100 by 200 feet $74 |
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is a freelance writer based in Minneapolis
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