Commentary

Immersive attractions aim for new heights

Today's immersive technologies are leading audiences in myriad directions.

Image: Triotech

December 18, 2023 by Kevin Williams

Immersive attractions are aiming for new heights as the new year approaches.

The manufacturing scene seems to be split into two camps — those major attractions manufacturers who are prepared to buck the trends and continue to invest only in traditional development, and those who have invested in a media-based interactive and immersive future business approach. This is what one observer defined as the "silicon against steel" dichotomy.

IPs, meanwhile, continue to play an important role in location based entertainment applications.

Following are a slew of recent introductions.

DOF Robotics has introduced "Monster Jam: Grave Digger: ICE" — the latest version of its VR 6DOF motion experience, incorporating onboard effects for six riders. The latest employment of the "Monster Truck" VR attraction, with its four-seat "Hurricane 360 VR" inverted VR ride, uses the Pico headset. DOF has also promoted its simulator-based space-themed attraction and other attractions work — including plans for its own "Angry Birds" property.
Triotech, which has crossed all aspects of the immersive entertainment landscape, from immersive dark rides, flying theaters, VR and new amusement — with some 415 installations globally, recently launched "SuperFly" — a dynamic, standing, motion base for two riders in a compact flying theater-style attraction package.
Triotech CLCorp, a new division of Triotech, marked its first installation at "NEB's Fun World" in Ontario, creating a 46-rider capacity attraction aimed to open in 2025. The company has also been promoting its next-generation interactive dark coaster, "Primordial," which opened in the U.S. at the Lagoon park, along with a number of other installations this year.
Triotech has also introduced "SuperBlaster," a four-motion-seat shooting gallery deluxe amusement piece that strikes some as a convertible style version of the original "Qube," with an open back, allowing better audience appeal, and enhancements made to the game. Distributors and operators were involved in reshaping the original shooting gallery amusement product for this new design.
AlterFace Projects has introduced its "Action League — Popcorn Revenge," scheduled for a debut in 2024 at Suzhou Paradise Forest World, Suzhou City, China.
RWS Global and its subsidiary JRA announced it is working on an immersive experience inspired by Netflix's hit series "Squid Game" (called "Squid Game: The Trail") — scheduled to open at the end of the year in Los Angeles. This marks the latest appearance of this IP in the attractions scene, seen from MR, VR and now immersive attraction deployment in out-of-home entertainment, and has been part of the success story that has encouraged Netflix to move into LBE themselves. JRA has also worked on the Mexican pilot for "Hasbro City FEC." Such are examples of the IP laden LBE venues that are springing up with a strong immersive element — such as seen with Path Entertainment and its work with Hasbro.
Sally Dark Ride recently tapped another IP with "SpongeBob's Crazy Carnival Ride" — a Las Vegas installation at the Circus Circus Casino Resort, in partnership with Paramount and Global Nickelodeon. This is a trackless dark ride, comprising an immersive interactive carnival shooter, through 15 scenes based in the SpongeBob universe with Sally animatronics. Also revealed was news of a collaboration between Sally and Intamin, a "Dark Ride Roller Coaster."
Walt Disney Co. has confirmed the deployment of a trackless ride system for its new Shanghai Disneyland attraction, "Zootopia: Hot Pursuit," scheduled for a 2024 rollout. Trackless ride systems present a serious trend in the current generation of large- and mid-scale attractions across resort, park and LBE installations.
SimEx-Iwerks, fresh from installing at Morgan's Wonderland the "Mars Coaster," its latest CGi 4D theater attraction, has reaffirmed the importance of branded content. The company has promoted its "Flying Ride" theaters and licensed 4D content from the "Frostbite" IP and Warner Bros. "Scoob!" property.
Fulldome.pro has launched its "The Super Reality Stand-Up Theatre" based on its "Super Reality Dome," including physical effects such as wind and water, along with the standing motion platform — in a turnkey platform offering up to 6-minute experiences. The project is a collaboration between Triotech and its standing motion system and Red Raion's "360" dome content.
Red Raion, for its part, has revealed its latest CGi movie with demos of "Alice in Wonderland: Space Match" — a reinterpretation of the classic children story IP.
Brogent Technologies celebrated its partnership with Mack Animation having developed a 10k LED dome, 305-seat flying theater called "It's Africa" — offering a light over the landscape.
MediaMation has introduced several "MXD4" motion-seat-theaters including its "MDX4 Flying EFX" motion theater system working with a VR headset, running content from Dynamo and others. The company has also promoted its "MXD4 Motion Floor," able to be deployed for arena VR experiences, adding to the immersion effects for such venues. They also launched a Raspberry Pi powered "ShowFlow" motion and effects controller system, offering a smart system in a small package for show control.
Barron Games, the amusement foosball and hockey table specialists, has also been representing the VR scene with its partnership with Swiss-based developer Somniacs and the "Birdly" full-body immersive flying VR system. The latest version of the system offers a new wingsuit racing experience, along with the launch of "BirdlyWorld," a new "soaring-style" city flying experience. Barron also presented the updated version of the "Koliseum" platform from Kynoa. The VR soccer system has been enhanced with new external theming of the arcade table, and players use one of the four HP Reverb VR headsets to view the virtual foosball style immersive soccer arena using an authentic controller.
Owatch VR, based in China, has introduced a selection from its VR 2.0. series, including its "VR Space Travel" four-rider VR motion experience, along with "VR Beat Star," the VR ride sim with two players on a motion seat and hand tracking offering a rollercoaster rhythm game styling. All employ the Pico headset.
Immotion has introduced its latest zoo-based and academic immersive attractions with its "Untamed Africa" flying theater style enclosure with six motion seat style systems running Pico headsets in a popup enclosure configuration.
Matrix Technology has introduced its "Orb Game" platform with futuristic capsules that contain up to four D-Box motion seats and HTC VR headsets to take part in a combative game, blasting opponents' orbs in a battle of survival. The VR capsule is seen as a possible mobile application, as well as a standalone experience, with e-sports stye competition value.
Talon Simulations has deployed its "Vortex Arcade Simulator" in several VR arcade venues and is also being used to train military drivers with its VR headset representation of the virtual environment and the motion seat and force-feedback steering controls — one such deployment is for "Amphibious Combat Vehicle Driver Trainer" developed for the U.S. Marines.

(Editor's note: Extracts from this blog are from recent coverage in The Stinger Report, published in collaboration with the LBX Collective and publisher, Kevin Williams, the leading interactive out-of-home entertainment news service covering the immersive frontier and beyond.)

Music & Games

About Kevin Williams

Along with advisory positions with other entrants into the market he is founder and publisher of the Stinger Report, “a-must-read” e-zine for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry. He is a prolific writer and provides regular news columns for main trade publications. He also travels the globe as a keynote speaker, moderator and panelist at numerous industry conferences and events. Author of “The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities,” the only book on this aspect of the market, with the second edition scheduled for a 2023 release.

Connect with Kevin: