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Sound Off #81 - CEC's new Arcade, theme park attendance declines, and more!
Manage episode 493425570 series 3650329
Sponsored by Intercard!
On our latest episode, join Kevin Williams and Brandon Willey as they discuss the location-based entertainment industry's paradox of economic uncertainty alongside aggressive expansion, with Merlin and Six Flags reporting 3% attendance declines while Netflix and Universal announce ambitious new venue plans. Chuck E. Cheese demonstrates strategic brilliance with their new Chuck's Arcade concept, targeting older audiences while maintaining brand connection across age demographics.
• Theme parks facing economic headwinds with 3% attendance decline reported by Merlin Entertainments
• Netflix House and Universal aggressively expanding with physical venues despite market concerns
• Golf simulation market becoming saturated with TruGolf planning 40 facilities and BatBox entering US market
• Chuck E. Cheese launches Chuck's Arcade brand to capture older demographic who've outgrown main brand
• Toca Social partners with SandboxVR in their White City London location, demonstrating entertainment co-location trend
• AI entering location-based entertainment with mixed results, creating what the Cambridge Dictionary now calls "slop"
• HTC Vive pivots strategy to partner with large operators like NTT Communications rather than individual sales
Chapters
1. Introduction to SoundOff 81 (00:00:00)
2. Bowling's Identity Crisis (00:01:08)
3. Economic Downturn in Theme Parks (00:04:22)
4. Netflix House & Universal Expansion (00:08:30)
5. Golf Simulation & Baseball Entertainment Boom (00:13:10)
6. Chuck E. Cheese's Strategic Rebrand (00:17:03)
7. White City Mall Entertainment Exploration (00:21:20)
8. Toka Social & Sandbox VR Partnership (00:32:20)
9. Arena VR & HTC's Market Positioning (00:37:42)
10. AI in the Entertainment Industry (00:47:37)
423 episodes
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