Page 71 - March 2020

sPeciaL FeaTUre: RETAIL & BRAND EXPERIENCE

A New World nerF eXPerience

singapore

In part one of RLI’s look at Retail and Brand Experience,

International Immersive Technology specialist, Kevin
Williams of KWP, presents an overview of the key areas
of investment seen driving the deployment of high-profile

brands and properties into the leisure entertainment
sector – charting the landscape and the opportunities in
theme parks, VR attractions and beyond. sTar Wars: GaLaXy’s edGe
orlando, Us

he importance of brand licensing in the LocaTion-Based enTerTainmenT environments has become a viable possibility with the The ability for a game developer such as Rovio to widen
explosion of investment in the Out-of- The development of dedicated entertainment facilities that use of the latest immersive reality technology. VR is the reach of their brands is seen in dedicated signings into
Home entertainment sector has not been are based around a popular brand – offering a means for the being deployed into the creation of not just theme park the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape. Video game
Tlost on anyone. Major new entertainment audience to immersive themselves within brand or movie are attractions but also standalone LBE VR experiences. publisher Ubisoft has created their own new division that
venue investments looking to marry with a strong and a new area of investment. Described as LBE facilities, these One of the most reported developers of this approach specialises in development in this arena. Building on the
recognisable Intellectual Property (IP) are fuelling this are mid-scale entertainment experiences flexible enough for is The VOID – creating both standalone and pop-up virtual popularity of Escape Rooms, Ubisoft Escape Games creates
development. The market is split into four dedicated deployment in malls as well as a standalone structure. entertainment experiences. The company have received support content that is based on their properties, with their first
aspects that have attracted much of this investment. Recent developments in this approach was seen with and investment from Walt Disney and LucasFilm, allowing the title ‘Escape the Lost Pyramid’, and new release ‘Beyond
Lionsgate Entertainment, who have invested heavily into creation of VR adventures based on Star Wars and Wreck it Medusa’s Gate’ – both based on the Assassin’s Creed game
Theme Park and resorTs finding the right mix of partner and developer – in the face Ralph. The company is about to reveal a new VR experience and movie universe.
We have seen incredible development by the larger of cancelled projects, the company has successfully opened based on the Avengers universe – and have even partnered with Beyond immersive technology, the conventional
theme park operators towards embracing IP, merging with their ‘Lionsgate Entertainment World’ – the movie-themed Sony Pictures to launch movie-based experiences. amusement business is seeing a strong resurgence
new attractions, and even theming complete zones of their vertical theme park, which opened at Hengqin Island in Another developer of what are called Arena-Scale (free supplying hardware to the entertainment facility sector,
parks. This is best illustrated by the market leader Walt Zhuhai, China last year. A venue comprising attractions roaming) LBE VR environments is Sandbox VR – the Asian have also embraced film and brand properties – such as
Disney, who launched last year the Star Wars: Galaxy’s including virtual reality experiences based on elements technology start-up has received considerable investment developer Raw Thrills releasing licensed products – most
Edge – a complete area of their park that has been geared from their movie portfolio. and following this announced a partnership with CBS recently with ‘HALO: Fireteam Raven” based on the
towards a re-creation of the movie property. Not just movie properties, but also toy brands have Interactive towards developing a VR adventure based on Microsoft console-game franchise. However it is not just
A virtual arms race to attract the most popular turned towards creating entertainment spaces wrapped in the Star Trek universe. Meanwhile developer Dreamscape current properties that are being utilised, new Videmption
properties has begun, be it Universal partnering with video brand recognition. Hasbro International announced their Immersive has licensed ‘Men In Black: First Assignment’, titles are reinterpretations of popular classic video arcade
game company Nintendo – or Six Flags Entertainment, the entry into the world of Family Entertainment Centres with a schedule release for the end of the year. releases such as with ‘Centipede Chaos’ and ‘Space
world’s largest regional theme park company, partnering (FEC) with plans to open the first ‘Nerf Experience’ centre Invaders Frenzy’.
with Atari, the consumer game publisher, to license their in Singapore. While Mattel have revealed their plans to sTandaLone amUsemenT & aTTracTions
real-world attractions into their ‘RollerCoaster Tycoon’ roll out their first ‘Mattel Play!’ indoor facility in Europe, Beyond the creation of dedicated theme park attractions, or While many people are fixated on interactive entertainment
mobile game. with a Canadian site to follow. Along with them, Cartoon specialist facilities – there is also the deployment of standalone only encompassing smartphones, consoles and PC gaming –
One of the aspects of the new investment in this sector Network has established several high profile partnerships hardware into existing entertainment venues that embrace the there is also a new and growing landscape for immersive
has seen the owners of these properties looking to enter to place their brands in this arena. use of available IP. Again, being led by VR technology, we have entertainment in the Out-of-Home entertainment sector.
the market directly, rather than handing over their brand seen one of the leading providers of VR tethered enclosure As seen from this incredibly brief overview this is a market
– directly operating divisions of their company towards immersive enTerTainmenT systems, HOLOGATE, entering into licensing agreements with that major brands and developers are taking incredibly
placement and management of their properties into the The ability to totally immerse the guest within a Sony Pictures and Rovio Entertainment, to bring ‘The Angry seriously, and with continued investment and partnerships,
Out-of-Home entertainment landscape. virtual re-creation of their favourite television and movie Birds Movie 2’ to their platform. one we will be hearing a lot more about.

dreamscaPe immersive LionsGaTe enTerTainmenT WorLd The void
Zhuhai, china