Commentary
Location based entertainment stays relevant with ‘escape rooms’ during COVID-19
Location based entertainment operators are turning to 'remote escape rooms' also known as 'live video escape rooms' to engage customers during the pandemic.
July 27, 2020 by Kevin Williams
A concept that has been growing in popularity in location based entertainment of late, mainly fueled by necessity, saw the latest addition to its ranks. U.S.-based Hourglass Escapes is an operator of a real-life adventure escape room venue in Seattle. The company has been experimenting with ideas while in lockdown and revealed last month that they had created a brand new immersive experience.
Called "Evil Dead 2 — Escape Room Live," the system is targeted for those locked-in at home who thrive to enjoy the escape game experience. The concept uses the popular video conferencing and meeting platform Zoom.
Up to six players can log on to a special site and take part in a 70-minute first-person escape game, controlling their avatar via the conferencing platform, and working with their group — this is what Hourglass Escapes describes as the first remote live escape room.
The concept is scheduled to go live this month, and will offer an additional revenue stream, even when their venues reopen after lockdown.
But there have been other operators turning to what are being established and called "remote escape rooms" (also known as "live video escape rooms"). U.K. chain Escape Hunt revealed that they had launched "Doctor Who: Worlds Collide" to Zoom — offering up to six players the chance to participate on the conference streaming app.
Live escape rooms emerge
Players book online and then virtually work together to solve the adventure. This was one of five adventures available from the operator, looking to offer an escape room flavored virtual experience, while their facilities remained in lockdown.
This seems to have sparked a trend in "remote escape rooms," with other operators following suit such as the VIRE Escape Rooms chain and, in the U.S, The Escape Game operation, with others also following the trend. All offer these 60-minute conference streaming-based experiences, also including a live game master — generating revenue when the core business is furloughed. This is bound to be a new aspect of the business once lockdown starts to rescind across the territories.
Video conferencing is not only offering a lifeline to escape room operators, but is also being employed in the private events scene. Interactive Entertainment Group, specialists in private event, party and immersive hire equipment, has been employing many aspects of immersive technology into their library of corporate and private party event planning.
Remote party events
The latest addition also considers the arranging of remote party events which employ video conferencing to bring some entertainment to those brought together. Called "Night At The Races: Virtual Edition," the Zoom-based virtual horse racing experience can accommodate up to 100 players, wagering and cheering on their virtual mounts. This borrows much from what has been seen with virtual sports (a computer generated horse, football and motorsports for patrons in betting offices).
The party system comes with a betting app, and even a live host who directs the event. This remote party system is emulating much that has been necessitated with the remote escape room.
Beyond immersive streaming experiences, there are also continuing developments in the location based entertainment VR scene.
Veteran VR arcade chain operator Ctrl-V, a respected name in the North American scene, took to YouTube to hold an "Ask Me Anything" in an hour link session. This underlines the need to get the message out to the player, as well as industry base, that commercial VR is not dead as it emerges from its lockdown conditions.
Ctrl-V CEO Robert Bruski fielded questions from the audience to the live AMA, reflecting on the valuable knowledge in serving VR to a hungry audience from their 14 VR venues across Canada and the U.S. since they first opened in 2016 (marking them as one of the first to crack the formula). The session helped other VR arcades who are struggling under the re-emergence from lockdown conditions, by sharing observations and advice.
Location based entertainment will provide an important escape for many consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
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