Sleek New Space Delivers Immersive News Experience With Digital Innovations and One-of-a-Kind Interactive News Games
REDMOND, Wash. and NEW YORK, July 28, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Msnbc.com, the leader in online news,* officially opened its interactive digital cafe today at the NBC Experience Store in New York's Rockefeller Center. The msnbc.com digital cafe is a sleek new space that brings to life the site's innovative nature and immerses consumers in msnbc.com's trademark "fuller spectrum of news" in a casual cafe setting.
The digital cafe is like no other, with one-of-a-kind interactive activities that showcase msnbc.com's rich content in compelling and unexpected ways. Spectra, msnbc.com's latest news-infused innovation, allows visitors to truly interact with the day's headlines. This visually stunning news reader is showcased on five touchscreens for individual play and on a large Sharp TV screen filled with whirling color and up-to-the-minute headlines. Coming in Fall 2008, Spectra will be featured on the 108-inch Sharp TV, one of the largest TVs in the world. Spectra on the large screen also uses motion-sensing technology to detect cafe guests' color of clothing. It then reveals a stream of the latest content channels that match that hue. For instance, if a visitor is wearing blue, Spectra will activate and display content in "Entertainment" in varying shades of blue.
"We've tapped into what excites our 'news explorers' and created a digital playground where consumers can engage and experiment with news in unconventional ways," said Catherine Captain, vice president of marketing, msnbc.com. "Bringing the msnbc.com experience offline to create a news-infused cafe is something we are uniquely positioned to do because our audience enjoys discovering news in unique formats. Consumers tell us that the msnbc.com brand is more innovative and cutting-edge than its peers. We coined the term and created NewsWare (www.newsware.msnbc.com) online that taps into that understanding and now we've created a physical space with the msnbc.com digital cafe."
The digital cafe also features free msnbc.com NewsArcades, which house the site's addictive NewsBreaker and NewsBlaster games first introduced online. Consumers have access to free WiFi. While visitors immerse themselves in the latest headlines, they can snack on Garrett Popcorn, sip Chock full o' Nuts coffee, and enjoy the spectacular views of Rockefeller Plaza and the Today Show studio.
"We worked closely with the NBC Experience Store to select premiere partners to enhance our cafe experience," said Captain. "We're thrilled to have Garrett and Chock full o' Nuts on board."
"The msnbc.com digital cafe is a fantastic addition to our NBC Experience Store," added Judith Dutch, vice president of Retail Operations and Consumer Marketing, NBC Universal.
