Games and other forms of entertainment provide essential sources of relaxation. They help us temporarily forget our troubles and escape our current reality. Think about the experience of going to a movie theatre. If you take a restroom break in the middle of a movie, you likely feel a sense of detachment from your surroundings as you proceed to the restroom. This sense of detachment is a sign you were immersed in the movie.
An immersive experience is when your consciousness is removed from the environment you are physically in and absorbed by an alternate one. It is, essentially, the suspension of your current reality through the experience of an “alternate reality.”
Yet the creation of an alternate reality is not always associated with a convincing simulation of real-world environment. Before modern technology and psychology studies made games more realistic, as early as the 18th century when the novel was emerging as a genre, scholars worried novel readers would be so immersed in the world depicted in novels that they will mistake it as “real.” The essence of an immersive experience, therefore, is not so much technology, but our own emotional involvement. When casino patrons feel challenged and invest emotionally in casino games, for instance, these games create an alternate reality for them.
Whether at tables or in front of game machines, casino patrons have a strong desire to win. They concentrate on the games and become more and more immersed until the world around them gives way to an alternate world comprised solely of cards and numbers. And when patrons are immersed, they will stay in the game longer, generating higher revenue for the casino.
So, it’s important for casinos to ensure the “alternate reality” of games remains uninterrupted. Yet there are certain needs that casinos can’t overlook when patrons are playing: for instance, patrons need to stop and eat at some point. Casinos offer food for this exact reason, but how can they minimize the disruptions in games induced by patrons’ hunger?
Think back to the cinema experience. A viewer’s sense of detachment from reality is greatest when they lift their eyes away from the big screen. That’s because vision is our dominant sense. In the same way, the “alternate reality” of casino games is disrupted the most when patrons take their eyes away from the table or game machine.
Avoiding virtual disruption for patrons is a priority, and casinos can achieve this by changing how patrons order their food. Instead of making customers leave the table or game machine to order, casinos can install self-ordering kiosks close to the gaming table or machine. They may even integrate kiosks into the casino floor. This way, patrons may order without exiting (at least too much) from the games’ alternate reality.
Besides, self-ordering kiosks don’t just enhance patrons’ experience at casinos by allowing them to play with minimal interruptions. They also make ordering faster, so patrons will spend more time on gaming instead of waiting on lines. This tech enables a perfect, revenue generating combination: an exciting alternate reality coupled with quick, delicious food.
