VIRTUALLY UNSTOPPABLE

vibrations to enhance the sense of presence and realism in a gaming experience.

“This technology creates a truly immersive environment that engages all of the guest’s senses and makes them feel as though they are actually inside the game.

By Lee Wild

“Guests come for attractions and stay for stories. Technology enhances how the message is told and how guests interact with it, but if the story behind it is not exceptional, guests will only remain with the memory of trying new technology. What differentiates extraordinary attractions from good ones is storytelling. Blended with cutting-edge technology, a good story lets guests get a sense of presence and be part of the experience. So the most creative way to use technology for immersing and entertaining guests is to offer thoughtful stories behind state-of-the-art technologies.” them from spectators to actors. And interactivity does not necessarily mean target device. In our Vr interactive coin-op Storm simulator, guests do not hold a controller; they play by moving their hands and arms around. While they ride, players have to catch balls using their hands, which they see in the virtual world. It’s not only a ride but also a friendly competition. As they have no device to manipulate, the game is very intuitive.”

It isn’t just the way the game is interacted with that builds immersion, 4D efFects can also add to a guest’s overall experience, as Inowize’s Ceo, Claudia Mihalache, explained. She said: “One of the most innovative ways to utilise technology is through the use of haptic feedback systems. Haptic feedback involves the use of motion-based elements, such as motion floors, wind blasts and

One case where the advancement of technology has allowed for a product unlike any other is over at Frontgrid. Its innovative Paradrop Vr attraction allows guests to experience the feeling of paragliding from the safety of their local Fec thanks to some innovative technological combinations. The product uses both motion based engineering and game development to create an experience that is unavailable anywhere else. In its latest development, Frontgrid has added a competitive socialising element that so many operators are looking for at the moment, with the launch of a global online league. Matt Wells, Ceo and co-inventor, said: “Our latest extensions are offering a new piece of hardware which offers an unattended operating model, as well as pushing the boundaries of competitive socialising by launching our global online league. It also gives us the ability to create custom content including environments inspired by real world places.”

That unattended offering is some- thing that many operators are prioritising in a world of rising labour costs. Wells refers to it as “a more cost effective model for operating their experiences,” while over at Sega, Lester Travasso agrees. The company’s sales and marketing executive explained the popularity behind Vr Agent, which Sega says is the first true coin-op, attendant-free Vr experience.

“The two-player product features a hybrid controller that is a game-changer for our market - players simply place the controller next to their eyes and they are instantly loaded into the action. Combined with the automated deployment system, that lowers the controller at the start and re-tracts it back up at the end of play, makes Vr Agent a truly attendant free game,” he said.

“Operators that were cautious about entering the Vr space finally feel there is a product they can comfortably invest in with Vr Agent. The game is a true coin-op Vr game and is seen as a big plus point for them as they look to expand their entertainment offering to their guests.”

Of course, with consumer Vr now more powerful than ever, location-based experiences have to leverage everything they can to compete with the home Vr offerings. One way which Lbes surpass anything available for home is through the immersion created through themeing. The wonder of visiting a carefully designed integrated experiences can never be replicated by putting on a headset at home. One company that understands that is BoldMove Nation. Its Ceo, Benoit Cornet, says that there is more possibility to in- novate in a Lbe. The company’s latest product is the Raptor Expedition, which is an indoor Ar walkthrough with multisensory features and special efFects.

Players embark on a journey to a mysterious island with different themed areas to discover using a tablet. Cornet said: “With location-based attractions, there are a lot more possibilities for theming and creating an exciting experience, which is not possible in people’s living rooms.

“With our Raptor Expedition we focus on making the theming aspect as present as possible, to make a clear connection between the digital and physical world.

“This ensures that the attraction and players’ experiences are lifted to another level. Furthermore, the physical presence of friends or other players also makes it more of a social event that creates a memorable shared experience.”

While the technology has advanced in recent years, the proliferation of different systems and manufacturers has also made it easier than ever for a location to install a Vr attraction. More and more, less traditional locations are looking to Vr to add an entertainment aspect to their current offering.

One of the biggest names in the virtual reality world surely has to be Hologate. The German company produces some of the most immersive attractions on the market, including games that leverage huge IPs. With a decade of experience in the industry, it’s little surprise that it has managed to carve out such a share of the market. The company’s products provide something for everyone, but it is its multiplayer offering where it wows the most.

Leif Petersen, Ceo and founder of Hologate, told InterGame: “Our multiplayer products enable venues to host esports events and tournaments, which encourages groups of players to come out and practice, builds a community and encourages repeat visitations. Our products are also optically compelling and electrifying for spectators.”

“Esports and competitive gaming are taking the world by storm. We see several of our operators hosting Hologate Arena esports tournaments. These events create long-lasting competitive teams, draw large crowds comprised of many first-time visitors, generate increased revenue through team registration fees and guest post-tournament spending and create an exclusive experience attendees will never forget.”

Vr attractions are often targeted at a teenage or adult market, but one company has chosen to focus on the younger demographic. Spree’s unique approach to the Vr sector has paid off, with it attracting that six to 12-year-old market that is already familiar with the metaverse.

Jonathan Nowak Delgado, Ceo and co-founder of Spree, said: “Our company’s focus on creating family-friendly, multiplayer Vr experiences sets us apart from the competition. We are the only Vr solution with tailor-made experiences for the lucrative six to 12 demographic, catering to a generation who has become used to immersive metaverse style games. At Spree, we believe in the power of shared Vr experiences to bring the whole family together, with our 10-player Spree Arena offering active, social and fun experiences for young and old”.

North and South America under the lens

Avirtual event, entirely dedicated to the gaming world in North and South America.

Gaming Americas Quarterly Meetup Series, scheduled for April, the 27, has interesting news in store for those who will participate, as Zoltan Tuendik, co-founder and head of business of Hipther, the organizing company, explains: “The most important news in 2023 is that the virtual meetup has become a permanent offering in our portfolio which is free to attend every quarter. The US gaming industry is shaping up nicely with more and more state opening up.

The main feature is that you do not need to travel or spend many hours researching for the US, Canadian and Latin American updates. You can attend the virtual meetup which is never longer than 3 hours and get the latest updates, interact with the experts and view the recording in case you missed something”.

What are the main subjects that will be addressed?

“The Gaming Americas Q2 Meetup will feature two important sessions, the ‘US Legislation Roundup Q2 2023’ and the ‘Gaming Insights with Segev Llp’. Besides these two sessions, we are also going to talk about payments and marketing”.

What are the opportunities of this market?

“Gaining access to the biggest gaming market in the world and learning from the mistakes made in other well-established jurisdictions such as the Eu”.

How has Covid affected the entertainment industry?

“No doubt, the in-person entertainment industry has been affected and the online segment has seen a significant growth. However, it’s slowly coming back to pre-2020 period and a synergy has started between the two (online and land-based one). It will be a very interesting 5-10 years where offline is merged with online”.

Where is the entertainment industry headed?

“In my opinion, it should head towards Extended Reality and Augmented Reality. There is a new dimension to be explored and very exciting”.

What meetups offer

The Gaming Americas quarterly meetups (scheduled for April, the 27th, August, the 31st, and November, the 8th, 2023) are designed to keep operators updated on what’s new in the North American and Latin American gaming industry with cash winning.

The meetings feature several panel discussions by region and topic, that are joined by leading industry experts, Ceos, C-level executives, business development managers, and sometimes government officials and regulators.

All meetups offer the opportunity to network online in special breakout sessions, but also to participate in a panel discussion that answers all the burning questions in the industry, at a certain time of the year.

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ybrid models that take advantage of the nuances between gaming and gambling, provoking ambiguous regulatory interpretations, were addressed as a central and most requested subject in the discussions of the Ampersand group at this year’s Ice London meeting.

Ampersand is a community established several years ago and managed by Clarion Gaming to bring together industry experts in a series of meetings to talk and discuss, in a more informal and free-flowing manner rather than the strict and structured way of a conference, on subjects of greater impact for the future of gambling. These subjects are proposed by the participants shortly before the meeting to ensure their relevance at the moment of the discussion.

The subject of the ever more blurred lines between the more casual and pure entertainment gaming, and gambling, was added just the day before the meeting, to an already long list of subjects to be discussed, with a prevailing majority - as had become usual in recent years - of requests focused on consumer protection, regulatory restrictions and the reputation of the industry.

In the Ampersand process, as soon as all the subjects are included in the agenda with an indication of the time for their discussion, the participants choose the sessions to attend. This is how groups of various sizes are formed, since everyone is motivated by their own interests and educational needs. To our surprise, despite the last minute addition, the subject of the combination of gaming and gambling had more than twenty people wanting to enter that discussion, possibly a record, when it comes to the level of interest, in Ampersand’s meeting history. Clearly, this is a broad and ambiguous subject,