Phones as controllers
A browser game page: scan, pick a name, play. No download. Inputs reach the game server over 5G with low lag.
Case study 01 · Harbourside gaming
What if the harbour were the game screen?
A whole waterfront plays one game, on a screen floating in the sea.
The idea
A game screen the size of a building.
A games publisher launches a new title. AdBarge holds station off the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront with the Kowloon face lit. Diners, passers-by and fans scan a QR code, join from their phones and play live against each other on the harbour. The leaderboard runs on the screen, and the winners’ names light up the skyline.
- Where
- Off the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront
- When
- Fri 12 to Sun 14 Nov 2027, 17:00 to 22:00
- Format
- Kowloon face, exclusive
- Media estimate
- About HK$500,000
How it runs
Minute by minute.
- 17:00Teaser loop: trailer, QR code and tonight’s prize.
- 18:30Lobby opens. Phones join in seconds, no app to download.
- 19:30Main event: five-minute rounds, live leaderboard on the barge.
- 21:00Final: the top players on the promenade face off, with a host.
- 21:55Winners’ names on the harbour. Trailer and launch date close the night.
How AdBarge makes it happen
The tech, plainly.
Game engine to LED
The game runs on a media server on board and feeds the LED processors live, with a back-up loop if the link drops.
Square to the crowd
AdBarge holds a fixed position facing the promenade, so the picture stays square to the players.
Built for distance
Turn-based and rhythm formats work best at harbour distance: big shapes, bold colours, short rounds.
Stream it
A camera on the promenade streams the screen and the crowd to Twitch, YouTube and Douyin.
Who it’s for
- Games publishers and console launches
- Esports leagues and teams
- Telcos showing off 5G
- Tech and gaming hardware brands
- Malls and harbourfront F&B
What the brand gets
- Thousands of players, not just viewers
- First-party sign-ups at the QR code, with consent
- Content for every social channel from one night
- Something Hong Kong has never seen on the harbour
Indicative media cost
What the screen costs.
Kowloon face, exclusive, 17:00 to 22:003 nights, Fri 12 to Sun 14 Nov 2027: high season, weekend rate on Fri and Sat
Media estimateAbout HK$500,000
Media only, from the 2027 launch rate card. Game development, servers, hosts and promenade set-up are quoted separately. Figures are rounded: the final quote depends on dates, hours and any extras.
What it would take
The approvals and partners it needs before it can run.
- Game publisher and IP licences for public display
- Marine Department: station and mooring plan for the barge
- A venue partner on the promenade, or a restaurant or mall terrace
- Crowd management plan for the viewing area
- Personal data notice and consent for sign-ups (PDPO)
- Content suitable for a general audience
Questions worth asking
Take them to your next brand meeting.
- Q1Would you pay more for a night people play, rather than watch?
- Q2Could the whole harbour be two teams: Kowloon against the Island?
- Q3Which game would Hong Kong queue on the promenade to play?
Be the first to do it.
Hold the dates now, free. Or talk the idea through with us.