Will Dean, founder of Tough Mudder, has ventured into the world of immersive video gaming. The 38 year old entrepreneur has said he is “on a mission to make screen time social again.”
Electronic Theatre, opening in London’s Bankside, will offer up to six players the chance to enter an interactive digital room dubbed a LightBox. Their motion will be tracked as they take part in a variety of challenges, and their movements will control the digital environment around them. The walls also have touch screen technology.
The games themselves will range from brand new experiences to immersive takes on nostalgic favourites. One is a version of the 80’s hit Pacman in which players’ movements around the floor control the iconic coin-gobbling character on the wall.
The idea for Electronic Theatre developed from an experience that Mr Dean had with virtual reality headsets: “Two things struck me. Firstly, it wasn’t virtually reality. I knew I had a headset on and I was in a shopping mall in London. The second thing is I didn’t even know what my friends were doing, whether they were having fun or not, I couldn’t tell. It was so immersive, it ceased to be social.” Electronic Theatre aims to counter that by creating collaborative team games and swapping a headset for a lightweight motion-tracking hat.
Currently there are two games that players can take part in. Alien Aptitude Test is an alien invasion, 80’s-themed series of mini games, taking inspiration from iconic video games such as Breakout and Pacman. The second game, Rescue the Royals, is set in 2026. Players are tasked with rescuing the royal family who have been held captive by a live-streaming service who own the UK.
Each of Electronic Theatre’s games are designed by the company’s in-house team of developers. New games will be released regularly.
Mr Dean, 38, has ambitious expansion plans for Electronic Theatre. They have received backing from a consortium of investors and are aiming to open 1,000 global locations in the next five years.
Teams of 1-6 can book either a 30 minute or 60 minute session. Individual tickets start at £20. Groups of seven or more can book multiple rooms starting from £100 each.
Electronic Theatre is now open at Arch 3, 83 Scoresby St, London SE1 0XN. For more information, visit electronictheatre.com
