At the time the technology was expensive and style at an evolutionary point in is development. Of the tens of companies that attempted to develop LBE facilities, only Virtual Worlds Entertainment and Silicon Speedway remain developing LBE attractions - in VWE’s case, all has changed with the installed base at Dave & Buster’s facilities - with a strong following. The Stinger Report has been able to speak with the team behind VWE and have learned of a new change in the LBE scene for them and will have a special report on this and more.

The proof of LBE was seen, but the expense and various managerial issues caused a premature death in the deployment of the concept. But 2006 could be about to see the return of the idea of the themed venue interactive gaming experience with at least three companies deploying systems into the scene.

Previously covered (Stinger #383), the concept of Mass-Audience interactive experiences have been muted from the re-launch of development investigation in the Virtual Adventure system, previously experimented with by iWerks. With the cost effective nature of current super computer and the creation of better immersive display hardware the concept has been resurrected. An announcement had been expected this year regarding rumors of the development of a project based on the original Virtual Adventure system but this is still to materialize.

But away from American projects, TSR has been drawn to a development in the Former Soviet Union. A company called Trans-Force has developed two facilities in Russia that use their current computer simulation technology from the military to create a restaurant and Mass-Audience based entertainment experience. The Trans-Force facility is a groundbreaking deployment of what had previously been only experimented.

The venues are split into three dedicated areas; in the restaurant area the patrons are treated to a vast display screen presenting an active virtual vista from the virtual environment, with the use of specialist serving and display technology on every table the patrons can view the game environment, the players and order food services directly from the terminals. The next area is the simulators, these six person systems allow every member of the experience to pilot or battle various enemy ships within a gaming experience. The experience can be altered into a non-violence race experience, but predominately revolves round the combat mission. The final area of the facility is a couple’s room, where private parties and couples can relax, as well as take part in specially tailored game experiences.

The idea of a dining, gaming and meeting environment, building revenue off of a mixture of food sales, corporate entertainment and parties was muted in the development of LBR sites, as well as too a lesser extent in the Dive! and GameWorks concepts. The Trans-Force experience bears a strong resemblance to the concept once pushed by Xulu Entertainment - however the exterritorial concept was never deployed; it mixed in a sci-fi element into its planned location, the concept is still claimed to be on the drawing board.

The resurgence of the simulator aspect of this genre has also been seen from companies such as LBE pioneer NASCAR Silicon Speedway, following financial difficulty has come through to operate over ten facilities, and now branding and revenue sharing installations of their system. Other developers include FSC Racing Simulation, starting to install their multi-million fully functional race simulator. The company recently announced that the third largest shopping mall in the world, the vast Mall of Emirates in Dubai, has installed two of their systems in their Magic Planet venue (individually costing over a million dollars).

One particularly interesting element of the adult themed entertainment market is the taking of the experience to new levels. The company behind much of the training and simulation technology for the military Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) also has developed a range of simulation technology for the attraction scene through their entity Entertainment Technology Corporation (EnTCo). In developing simulator of the experience of space travel for Walt Disney (Mission Space), the company has ventured into the development of new themed venues. Under the ‘Space Training Institute’ brand, ETCSpace will be launching a venue in America (opening January 2007) a facility that includes a number of the most engrossing mission training systems ranging from G-Force, Night Vision, Altitude, Disorientation, and centrifuge training, the idea similar in idea to the ‘Space Camp’ LBE concept of the late Nineties.

The ETCSpace concept offers a training facility for those want-to-be millionaires that cannot afford to pay the Russians for a trip into space. But also the facility offers a training facility within mainland America that can be used by the burgeoning Space Tourism sector. The company hopes that the newly announced Virgin Galactic space orbital flights will have their expected 3,000 space travelers over the next five years that propose to fly Spaceship One will undergo their pre-mission training here.

The mixture of food-n-fun is suddenly a popular concept as the OOH sector sees an insurgence along with a migration from the motion conventional cinema experience for more interactive elements. The hope to establish new concepts have seen Chuck E. Cheese work on the development of a new, older-age-group version of the concept, while Nolan Bushnell revealed earlier in the year his plans to develop the 'uWink Media Bistro' - though the proposed 2005 opening seems to have slipped?

More information about the layout of the proposed 300-seat facility has been revealed - split into four different areas including patio, bar, and two studio dining areas. Ralph Gentile Architects having been assigned as the facility designers and final architects in October. The first venue in West Los Angeles with hope to create a multimedia-focused, adult-focused theme restaurant, with a 25 to 35 age group targeted.

In Asia the changing OOH sector with a resurgence in amusement visitation has been supported by the development of sports bar and club style play locations. The development of adult casino style sites is currently an expanding new territory for the Japanese, but companies such as SEGA and their BEE sites look towards a mature playing audience that wants to interact with other guests in a play style environment.

Breaking Stinger News - While Disney hopes to define new technology, the core business of the multi-billion dollar entertainment giant was receiving some bad media.

The Stinger has been accused in the past of being hard on the entertainment giant. However, the Report is actually owned by those with previous Walt Disney credentials and happy memories of working for the Mouse. But apart from quibbles over reportage and image, the factual, underlying reality has been that (since the worst period of the management troubles under the Eisner directorship) the ability to establish the ‘magic’ of the Disney theme park operation has proven harder to define.

In the midst of the passing of control of the corporation to the new supreme commander - and a collective sigh of relief, some of the past policy decisions are being reviewed, and some of the results of big business attitudes are coming painfully to the surface.

Indicated in previous Stinger coverage, American media have started to reveal in graphic detail the problems that have dogged the entertainment giant with regards the opening of the important Hong Kong Disneyland venue. However the problems that have befallen the corporation with this very important $1.8 billion park project seem not to be in the manufacturing the magic, but in managing the presentation!

It has been revealed in the build-up to the Hong Kong launch, the Disney managers on site managed to offend the very partner on the project (the Hong Kong government) as they entered into frantic damage limitation on a serious of food poisonings at the beginning of the park’s opening. Government food inspectors were pressured into removing badges and official caps, in order to hide them from the visitors. This food problem was leaked by local newspapers and caused serious public complaint.

This treatment of local officials and claims regarding employment conditions of the venue was called into question when local labor leaders stated that Disney management was trying to make Hong Kong a colony of Disney. To show how drastic the labor issues have been for the venue, a disgruntled DHK employee climbed to the top of the Space Mountain structure and threatened to commit suicide if he was not reinstated and his grievances addressed. It took several hours of negotiation to talk him down, but the incident added to the poor press regarding the corporation’s handling of its Asian exposure.

The poor image established by Disney has cut into attendance figures after opening. There has also been a fall in public satisfaction with the facility and the Disney Corporation. In a local survey it was reported that 24 per cent had a negative view of the site. It has to be mentioned that a $1.8 billion project of this kind will receive some teething problems, but there is an eerie echo of similar mistakes being made as was seen with the original opening of the DisneyLand Paris venue, which is still suffering from cultural difficulties.

In reality though these are the expected growing pains of a vast project, and Disney management stay extremely confident that they will weather the storm and that already the park is coming into its own with the local population. The Asian experience first started with Tokyo Disneyland, will be continued with a rumored South Korean venue to be announced in 2012. So these slight hitches will soon have to iron themselves out for the corporation to expand.