Creating compelling, immersive experiences through simulators and interactive theatres.
FULLY immersive simulator and interactive theatre ride experiences have become a must-see attraction within today’s FEC and arcade locations. Equally, they perform just as well as standalone attractions in shopping malls, for example. The work that goes into designing and developing such equipment is staggering, encompassing everything from hardware design to the production of compelling and visually stimulating content. But how do these design studios continue to come up with experiences that excite enough to generate repeat play?
“There are three factors to creating a compelling, immersive environment,” said Christian Martin of one of the industry’s most recognisable designers of simulators and interactive theatres experiences, Canada’s Triotech. “This is typically around the visual effects and the motion. Then there is interactivity, which is the strong current trend. Finally there is content. Fun content is key to a great experience.”
Triotech’s range of products comprises Interactive Dark Rides, motion simulators, its XD Dark Ride and Interactive Cinema. It began with Typhoon, a two-seat pay-to-play simulator title.
“When we introduced the Typhoon in coin-op market several years ago, we did not necessarily expect that we would reach 1,000 units in the field, yet here we are,” said Martin. “In parallel, we moved to our XD Theater, which has four to 80+ seats. This widens the possible sites and segments where the product can be used, from FECs to tourist attractions, to theme parks. “Now of course we added interactivity with our XD Dark Ride and it is this interactivity that guests thrive on. Adding this dimension of group game play is a key ingredient.”
Read the full article in the October issue of InterGame.
