Elaut launches Livecadia: play offline arcade games online
Have you ever wondered where the games in amusement arcades actually come from? Chances are they were made by Elaut. This family-run business from Sint-Niklaas produces and invents amusement games and arcade games, and distributes them worldwide. Since they are strong on innovation, an online version was bound to follow. Elaut Group was looking for a digital partner who knows the ropes. Insert Xplore Group to play!
Elaut is an established player in the world of offline games. The company has been active in the industry for generations. “My grandfather sold bumper cars from the trunk of his car in the 1950s. In those days, claw machines were made with ropes and bicycle chains. He immediately saw the potential and the rest is history,” Laurens says proudly. He is responsible for innovation & game development at Elaut Group, and took his first steps in the company. Not only professionally, but literally as well – as he was already walking around the firm as a toddler. “Elaut is a company that is constantly looking for new innovations and technologies. We listen to our customers and, more importantly, the players!”
Interview Laurens De Smet @Elaut, aug. 2023
Choosing digitisation
An online version of an offline game. It sounds strange, but it certainly isn’t. Elaut’s customers had long struggled with how not to lose their players as soon as they close the arcade doors behind them. “More and more people are on their smartphones. Every shop has its own web shop, and just about every restaurant has a takeaway option – so we are going to allow every arcade to also have an online arcade,” says Laurens.
The answer came in the form of Livecadia, which allows players to play online wherever they are. “With Livecadia, we pursue three things: create more interaction between our customers and their players, attract new online players and keep them coming back. That way, our clients bring in more revenue and can offer their players a true multichannel experience,” Laurens says.
What exactly does the online version entail?
Livecadia is a web app that allows you to interact and play with a physical claw machine or another arcade game using your phone. When you log in, you get access to a livestream of arcade games in Belgium. As a player, you remotely control the grappling arm to get a stuffed toy. If you win something, you can either go to the arcade to pick it up, or have Elaut send it your way. The app can also be customised by the client with their own style, so players really feel like they are in their favourite arcade.
The gaming machines are equipped with cameras, allowing you to watch and control everything remotely via livestream. Enter Xplore Group! “We had to make sure there were no delays or disruptions. If players were to experience hiccups, they would drop out. Therefore, we made sure that each delay remains under 100 milliseconds, thanks to an Amazon-based peer-to-peer connection between the gaming machine and the player’s mobile phone,” says Tim from Xplore Group.
Elaut Group and Xplore Group: a guaranteed win!
Elaut was looking for a reliable partner with the right knowledge and experience. “What we particularly liked about Xplore Group is their expertise in different fields. From the moment we spoke to Tim, it was clear that they knew what they were doing. They assembled a superstar team of experts in different fields, from DevOps and UX to frontend and backend. We can continue to count on their support and advice afterwards,” Laurens says. Xplore Group is a large family of sub-companies joining forces. Cloudway was responsible for Amazon, everything was thoroughly tested by Refleqt, AppFoundry built the application’s front-end and Gluo was in charge of DevOps and automating the cloud infrastructure. The project also included IoT, apps and e-commerce. Therefore, it is possible to buy coins and choose your price, just like in real life. In short, a textbook example of cooperation!
The next level
The world is changing. That is why Elaut is constantly looking for ways to use technology and innovation to improve the player experience. “It’s simple. Our clients have a certain number of square metres from which they want to maximise their ROI. That is why it is important to attract as many players as possible. With Livecadia, this is now actually possible. So we continue to innovate and look for new games. Online and offline worlds can intertwine perfectly, and Livecadia is the best proof of that,” Laurens concludes.
