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- Downloadable Theme Parks, Candy-Powered Free-Roam, and Zero Latency Hits NOLA...
Downloadable Theme Parks, Candy-Powered Free-Roam, and Zero Latency Hits NOLA...
New business models are freeing location-based XR tech from arcades into museums, malls, parks, city streets, and more. Oh, and arcades are still going too!


Theme parks keep getting more virtual, plush toys are shooting it out in Hero Zone, and Zero Latency added New Orleans to its ever-expanding footprint. Next week is AWE in Long Beach, where I’ll break down why arena-scale free-roam is finally penciling out—and where the potholes still hide. Curious how “bigger box” can mean better margins? Keep reading past the news in One Big Thing, where I give you a preview of what the audience will hear in Long Beach..
"Next week I will be in AWE - will you?”
New Developments

DreamPark turned Buena Vista Gardens in San Francisco and the Santa Monica Promenade into downloadable theme parks. Where will it download to next?
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Theme Parks
DreamPark banks $1 M to drop “downloadable” theme parks anywhere – QR-code gateways turn empty lots into walk-through quests, letting landlords skip steel and concrete while still charging admission. Looks like Pokémon Go finally grew up. Read more ›
PortAventura’s “El Diablo Neo” rewires a classic mine ride with mixed-reality layers – Think heat bursts, real vines, and AI-spawned devils wrapping guests in Mexican folklore. Will this spark another trend of “MR” coasters? Sustainability cred and AI-driven art make this the park’s loudest 30th-birthday flex. Read more ›
FECs & Arcades
Plush Rush goes standalone on Hero Zone’s 400-site network
Hero Zone just sprinkled sugar on its 400-plus global network by adding Plush Rush—a six-player candy-heist that ditches backpack PCs for Pico 4/VIVE Focus freedom inside a tidy 6 × 6 m arena. As the only standalone platform offering VRilliant’s new port, Hero Zone hands operators a plug-and-play crowd-pleaser that keeps kids hyped, parents chill, and throughput humming. Want to taste how this family-friendly blaster can sweeten your revenue mix? Tap through before your competitors grab the last gumdrop. Read more ›
Zero Latency plants flag No. 150 in New Orleans – Wi-Fi 6E streaming, camera-less tracking, and a brass-band-worthy block party welcomed the Crescent City venue last week—proof that free-roam still scales on six continents. Read more ›
Uptown Alley trades laser tag for Limitless VR and a $6.5 M makeover – Bowling, mini-golf, karaoke, and an eight-player free-roam arena aim to keep Arizona families on-site (and off competing greens) all night. Read more ›
White Rabbit Arcade learns the hard way: get mall promises in writing – A stalled redevelopment slashed foot traffic, forcing Iowa’s indie arcade into Groupon deals and GoFundMe lifelines. Location, location…and paperwork. Read more ›
Museums & Science Centers
Aberdeen Science Centre straps on headsets for STEM – Sponsors funded ocean dives, space walks, and mobile VR kits that now tour schools across Scotland’s North-East. Discount code ROAR-VR runs this week. Read more ›
Atlanta eyes a $100 M “Museum of the Future” in Centennial Yards – VR, AR, and AI galleries plus classroom Innovation Labs aim to make STEAM sexy—and profitable—in the Gulch redevelopment. Read more ›
Art, Music & Culture
Warner Bros + Secret Cinema jack us back into The Matrix at COSM – Dome screens, 3D sets, and spatial audio deliver a red-pill reboot streaming can’t touch. LA and Dallas get the first drops this week. Read more ›
ARTCADE turns gamers into gallery-goers – Nine thematic zones mash AR overlays, AI generative art, and retro cabinets for an exhibit where phones are brushes and visitors finish the canvas. Read more ›
Raindance Immersive drops 32 XR premieres in London & VRChat – From Symbiosis/Dysbiosis to late-night world-building talks, the indie festival stretches June 6–29 with free passes for film-badge holders. Read more ›
Qatar’s Islamic Center uses VR to reframe heritage for 240+ students – Browser-based journeys from pre-Islamic superstition to Makkah’s rise show how headset-light tech can scale cultural education. Read more ›
Jordan Wolfson’s Little Room debuts at Fondation Beyeler – Full-body scans, shifting avatars, and existential dread crown a VR installation that asks whether you’re the viewer—or the viewed. Read more ›
Travel & Tourism

The Last of Us AR Scavenger Hunt in Vancouver
Niantic turns Vancouver into The Last of Us scavenger hunt—no app required – Browser-based AR overlays filming sites with clicker-infested chaos and collectible postcards for survivors. Read more ›
VR Leagues plants a free-roam arcade in rural Belmullet – Broadhaven Bay Hotel now hosts league play, STEM modules, and an economic shot in the arm for Ireland’s Gaeltacht. Read more ›
One Big Thing

Bob Cooney to moderate a star-studded panel of location-based VR veterans.
From Warehouse Curious to Broadway Serious: Large‑Scale Free‑Roam VR Hits Its Business Stride
Scene 1 – On the Road to Long Beach
This week I’ll be stuck in traffic on the 405 heading from my beachside petsit in Oceanside to Long Beach Convention Center. On Thursday, I will step on stage at AWE USA to moderate “The Immersive Gold Rush: The Art and Business of Today’s LBVR.” Five years ago, I was explaining basic economics to skeptics. This year, I expect the room to be packed. The conversation has shifted from whether free‑roam VR can scale to how fast we can build locations.
Scene 2 – Solving the Money Puzzle
Back in 2017, The VOID proved demand but not profitability. Runtimes were short, labor was high, and landlords milked them for every penny they could get. Today, two key metrics exist: revenue per square foot and labor as a percentage of revenue. When a 2,500-sq-ft stage accommodates 50–100 guests per hour, labor costs drop below 15 percent, and revenue per square foot surpasses that of most cinema screens. That margin allows us to extend experiences to 30, 60, or even 90 minutes without impacting the P&L.
“Pair free‑roam throughput with Broadway‑length storytelling and you can charge Broadway‑level tickets.”
Scene 3 – Content Finally Has a Pipeline
Cultural titles—Tutankhamun, Titanic, Notre Dame—were the entry drug. Parents booked them because the content felt useful. With capacity proven, premium IP is next. Black Mirror and similar properties will broaden the audience from school groups to date nights.
Tech is helping: David Bardos’ Univrse released XROAM this year. It allows creators to upload a floor plan and auto-fit scenes in a matter of days. A museum can swap out a historical piece for sci-fi on Monday and be open for business on Friday. That efficiency keeps installation costs in check and gives venues a true content slate instead of a single shot.
Scene 4 – Design Rules That Protect Margin
“Grandma, a teenager, and a TikTok couple all need to feel like protagonists within thirty seconds.”
Three practical guidelines for content creators:
Rotate environments every three minutes. Change light, scale, or interaction to keep guests engaged and moving.
Standardize the box. A 20 × 10 meter footprint means content can travel; operators don’t have to rebuild walls for every title.
Keep inputs simple. One button or one gesture. If guests stall, the whole line backs up and throughput collapses.
Follow these, and a lot of early‑stage mistakes disappear.
Scene 5 – Marketing Is the Last Boss
Technology and storytelling are no longer the bottlenecks—customer acquisition cost is. I still see venues spending 30% of gross on ads. Sustainable operations maintain a CAC between 15% and 20% by optimizing creative for audience personas. When we start selling stories instead of selling VR, CAC settles where it belongs.
Scene 6 – Two Viable Growth Models
I like the small‑box, high‑scale approach: retrofit a space for $100 to $250 K and roll out copies wherever real estate is underutilized. It’s the same playbook I used with Laser Storm in the ’90s.
Jenna Seiden of Felix and Paul views it similarly to Joshua Rubin, leaning towards the destination flagship: a 30,000-sq-ft anchor with physical props, possibly live actors, haptics, food, and merchandise. Think Sleep No More layered on top of free‑roam VR.
Both can coexist. Small boxes build audience reach; flagships give fans a pilgrimage site. The two models reinforce each other, much like regional theaters feed Broadway.
Scene 7 – Building the Industry, Not Just Venues
Unit economics appear favorable, but the sector remains fragmented. Standards, insurance guidance, and shared data are thin. That’s why I’m launching LEXRA—the Location‑Based XR Association. We’re recruiting a founding board from operators, studios, landlords, and tech vendors across six continents. Goal: one set of definitions, one voice to investors, and a shared data dashboard so newcomers don’t repeat old mistakes.
If you want a seat at that table, visit lexra.org and apply today.
Scene 8 – Your Invitation
The deeper dive happens Wednesday, June 11, 2:50 p.m., Room 101A at AWE USA. I’ll moderate as Joshua Rubin, Jenna Seiden, David Bardos, and Jeffrey Travis break down where creative vision meets hard numbers.
Heading to Long Beach? Reply to this email or ping me on LinkedIn. Let’s grab coffee and talk shop.
And if you’re serious about shaping location‑based XR, join LEXRA. Early members influence the standards that will govern this market for the next decade.
Key Points for the Quick‑Scan Crowd
Throughput (50–100+ guests per hour) and standardized footprints drive profit.
Cultural IP validated demand; premium IP will expand it.
Design must keep guests moving and inputs simple.
CAC over 30 % is a red flag—fix placement or messaging.
Small boxes and destination flagships aren’t rivals; they’re complementary.
What’s the biggest blocker you still see—tech, talent, or ticket sales? Send me your take, and I’ll bring the toughest ones to the AWE stage.
See you in Long Beach. And wear comfortable shoes—function over fashion, my friends.
Joining Circle is free and members will get exclusive early invites to join LEXRA at a discount. So get in there and join Circle today. As of this writing we have over 300 members, mostly operators. Suppliers are welcome, but please refrain from advertising until we have the supplier spaces set up. More on that coming soon.
I hope to see you in the community.
Stay immersed,
Bob