It is a ‘heads up’ not ‘heads down’ experience that brings to life engaging challenges that combine mental ability with physical agility to deliver a constantly evolving stream of repeatable experiences.
The ARENA may appear to be empty at first glance, but inside CONDUCTR has combined a series of emerging technology innovations that enable natural and intuitive gameplay for maximum fun without being distracted by the technology and minimal operator requirements.
The compact 5m x 5m / 16’ x 16’ game play area within a transparent surround features intuitive and invisible tracking technologies that combine with fully immersive media, audio and tactile solutions to deliver the futuristic gaming experiences.
This includes seven interactive systems to map the guests in the environment, track gameplay and automatically collate points. This includes a fully interactive LED floor, two digital push button interactive walls, surround sound audio, reactive lighting, automated mechanisms for delivering physical objects, gesture tracking and eye-catching digital animations, all designed to maximise and mix-up the game play experiences.
To keep the technology invisible and the experience intuitive, CONDUCTR developed advanced motion tracking and gesture control capabilities to track the guests in the space. This connects to automated scoring mechanisms so that the guests don’t have to record anything manually throughout the game play.
To accurately track guests in the space, CONDUCTR developed proprietary tracking methodologies that aggregate positional data using AI camera technologies. The AI cameras provide high-resolution imagery and advanced algorithms for precise tracking, reducing errors and processing the data in real-time, offering immediate insights and enabling quick decision-making. This high accuracy is also achieved without the use of wearables, helping to keep the technology invisible and deliver the immersion through a non-intrusive solution.
The AI cameras also capture additional contextual information, such as behaviour patterns, interactions and environmental conditions. This data is used for product updates and to inform future game design, with the opportunity to tailor these for the different game play styles and preferences in the different geographical regions. This data collection is automated and can be integrated with other software platforms for comprehensive data analysis and reporting.
Multisensory immersion is achieved using surround sound systems for an enhanced auditory experience and haptic feedback provides a tactile engagement for a more engaging and dynamic experience.
As well as devising the technical solution, the CONDUCTR team of game creators, software developers and animators designed all the games, to include agility games, physical games, mental games and skill games. Up to eight players can participate for a duration of 10 – 60 minutes choosing between a multitude of games and game modes.
The ARENA launched with eight games designed to appeal to all preferences, including high energy, mental ability and skill-based experiences, to ensure that the experience is accessible to all abilities, with customisable settings and difficulty levels.
More games are in development to take the playbook to 20 by the end of 2024. Guests can select the games they want to play, and multiple levels and settings ensure that experiences are continually evolving, encouraging repeat footfall to beat high scores.
With The ARENA sitting at the heart of the new Dave & Buster’s competitive socialising spaces, the transparent exterior delivers a high spectator value, so other guests in the venue can follow all the action of the group and are encouraged to book the experience for themselves.