This is a momentous year for the Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment (DOE) sector, 2017 marked a momentous year for the trade, with the 99th anniversary International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo. With 575,000 net square feet of exhibition space, accommodating some 100 exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), and welcoming some 32,000 expo participants. To say this was a big year is an understatement. Thanks to the
Stinger Report for the help on the rundown this record breaking event.
Some of the biggest events at the Expo was the Dark Rides and 4D Theater experiences which included interactivity in the events.
TRIOTECH was taking a prominent place at the event. Continuing the promotion of their theater market, they showed their
'XD Dark Ride' interactive theater, with a new experience called
'Robot Riot'. The company also showed the interactive theater element of their new Dark Ride attraction, the
'Fear the Walking Dead Survival' experience.
The big news on the
TRIOTECH IAAPA'17 booth was the announcement of their partnership with European software games giant
Ubisoft. During EAS'17, TRIOTECH tried the
Polymorph-represented and
Asterion VR-developed, 'Virtual Arcade' backpack VR system, which was also running the newly-licensed Rabbids game experience.
Alterface Projects took strong presence at the show, with a booth showing off their new projects, including the launch of their brand new and scalable
'Wander' solution.
'Wander' uses RFID technology that allows the guest to wander round with a simple interface (a wand) which is personalized to their profile. The company had several rooms and a Main gathering place where the players received their instructions, and then they were dispatched to different rooms to complete challenges, with their progress being showed on a central screen. The system was running a Smurf-based game IP, and offered a compelling glimpse at how this approach could prove popular, generating instant repeat business.
UK-based
Holovis has also worked on their own park-based AR app, and promoted their 'Ride and Realm' at IAAPA'17 - proposing to use proximity beacons, geofencing, and WiFi triangulation to allow players to navigate the attraction space, using a live digital map. Clues to guide guests on the scavenger hunt and help them level up can be unlocked in several ways, from using AR to engagements with live actors, on-screen mini games, interaction with park-wide digital signage, and through achievements which can be logged, such as to ride other attractions. The first installation precipitant of this system, is hoped to be revealed soon.
Let us know what you think about the exciting new developments on our
Twitter page.
Thanks again to the
Stinger Report for all their great coverage
