Middle East Defines New Amusement!
Report from the Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure Show (DEAL)
by Kevin Williams
This feature charts the developments in the new technology approach to the family entertainment experience, paticularly the growth of the Videmption (video-redemption) sector – as seen most recently at the Dubai Entertainment Amusement & Leisure Show (DEAL).
There is much to learn when it comes to innovation and implementation of videmption by looking outside of the US amusement scene. There is a market across the seas that offers a glimpse at a vibrant and profitable application of the family entertainment venue model – a market that is also emerging into its own powerhouse where, rather than borrowing from the West, the Middle East amusement scene is leading the way in deployment.
The Redemption and FEC Report was able to gain an interesting look at this growing market with the April attendance at the 19th Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure Show (DEAL) – the leading amusement and attraction event for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This event has grown over the years to become a prominent amusement and attraction show with visitors from America and Europe bolstering the local visitation.
DEAL’13 reflected the complex but highly profitable aspects of the UAE market – broken into a market that is dominated by leading distributors and operators that act as territorial agents for the leading amusement brands, while a number of corporations also come to the show with their own booths, looking to seal deals and represent their local agents.
One of the largest gatherings of booths covering the DEAL’13 show floor was that representing the Amusement Services International (ASI) group of companies – offering sales, service, and design/operation support to this diverse market. ASI was founded in 1999 and has come to represent many of the core developers. The Dubai show was a cornucopia of the latest redemption machines – though for this feature we will focus on the growth charted on the show floor of the Video Redemption (Videmption) platform.
Of the major factories represented on the ASI booth, SEGA marked their presence and support in the UAE sector with a number of their latest videos. In the videmption category SEGA brought ‘Pirates of Monster Island’ – the cartoon styled pirate ship cannon blasting video offers a pay-for-shot element and a pusher-style play narrative. The game was developed by UK based R&D team Gamewax – a familiar and popular developer of innovative new content suited to meet the exacting needs of the evolving family entertainment and amusement scene.
The other Japanese factory represented by ASI on their booth was NAMCO Bandai Games. The company also had a hoard of products seen at the recent UK and US trade shows – but for the UAE audience, they were also treated to their first glimpse of the new videmption release ‘Pac-Man Ticket Mania’. Developed for NAMCO by US based Raw Thrills, the recreation of the classic 80’s video game into a redemption title proved as compelling as it is innovative.
Innovation in the application of the videmption genre marks this sector out for special scrutiny. The ASI booth included LAI Games and their new ‘Ghost Town’ – offering its unique four-player cartoon shooting ticket game. A title that has already hit the streets, but is gaining momentum, was exhibited by Coastal Amusement, with a line-up of four ‘Temple Run’ videmption units (a game based on a popular mobile game app). The other videmption of note on the ASI booth was ‘Push Koong’. Originally imported into the West by UK distributor Electrocoin – the transparent LCD screen videmption title comes with a temple and rocket ship balancing game narrative – the transparent screen mounted over the merchandiser prize display.
The other major group of booths at the DEAL event were from Warehouse of Games (WoG) – considered one of the largest suppliers of arcade games and attractions in the Middle East region with 13-years in the sector – another agent, sales and operator conglomerate, the company gave a healthy slice of their booth to children gaming and videmption. One of those companies that exhibited that offered a strong family entertainment takeaway was Apple Industries, the US company launching their new ‘The Scene Machine’ – offering the chroma-key (green screen) photo booth with the player able to select the background to their photo and shared over social media (receiving a special Middle East custom background feature launched at the show).
Regarding the application of new technology, the originator of the application of a number of the new trends in this area of the market was Adrenaline Amusement – along with their ‘Lane Splitter Extreme’ freeway racing videmption title based on the mobile game app. The company represented the touchscreen sector with their titles ‘Fruit Ninja FX’ and ‘Flight Control FX’ – one of the many mobile game apps converted for amusement. Another large touchscreen was the company’s revolutionary transparent touchscreen game ‘Black Out’ – shown with two cabinets in the Skill Play Merchandiser category – the exhibitors announcing that the two systems had been sold off the booth right at the beginning of the show.
One of the companies that had a major presence on their agent’s booth – but also came to DEAL’13 with a booth of their own – Universal Space Amusement (UNIS) had on the WoG booth their ‘Pirate Hook’ – two-player cartoon pirate fishing extravaganza and they also had ‘Fruit Mania’ – a video pusher style cartoon coin launching game. Another major name represented on the WoG booth (and also having their own stand), Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE Games), had one of their ‘Harpoon Lagon’ table style display games continuing the fishing narrative. ICE Games carried on the videmption theme on their own booth with titles ‘Doodle Jump Arcade’ and ‘ICE Breaker’. ICE Games has established an excellent reputation with the UAE audience having supported DEAL over the last few years.
The UAE offers a new opportunity for sales to a number of the new entrants to the market. The new applications of videmption and Skill Merchandisers were seen with the KRISS Sport punch bag game ‘Punch To Win’ Skill Play Merchandiser, with prizes and tickets linked to the punch-bag skill game experience. Innovation and the expanding of horizons to new sales opportunities marked DEAL’13 and the “kid-tainment” aspects of the family fun experience were on show with Re-play Games (from Vendogiochi Italy) showing their kiddie game kiosk system ‘Kiki Fun’ – a 26’’ touchscreen PC platform for young fingers (aimed at children aged 4 to 12 years).
Of the other exhibitors taking a prominent placement – UK based operation United Distribution Company (UDC), turned heads with a crowded booth at their traditional location at the front of the exhibition. Notable mentions from the videmption category included the video-pusher ‘Juicy Frutti’. While the company also showed a game based on its mobile game app pedigree, with ‘Can Knockdown 2’ – the videmption title based on the mobile game app developed by Polish based Magic Play presented in a vertical 42’’ LDC touchscreen cabinet. All these new titles, and UDC also had the videmption ‘Pirate Booty’ from Team Play.
But the big development witnessed on the DEAL show floor was the explosion of Chinese and Asian supported exhibitors and content. One of the premier representations was Universal Space Amusement who showed on their separate booth videmption products, such as ‘Bike Rally’ offering a motorbike game for younger players, while also giving space on the booth to the kid videmption ‘Veggie Blast’ – the one player cartoon vegetable blasting game. UNIS has established a strong presence in the reforming amusement scene hungry for new content.
While UNIS has grown to establish a strong presence in the international scene – a number of smaller Chinese corporations made the trip to the UAE exhibition to help boost their recognition and be seen as a viable resource for new and compelling game content. WAHLAP Technologies – fresh from their appearance at IAAPA’12 came to DEAL’13 with their brand new videmption title ‘Turtle Adventures’ – the game has players stacking creatures and collecting tickets for the height achieved (a popular theme seen with a number of videmption products), the system able to be linked into a two cabinet configuration.
Across the hall Guangzhou Macrown Animation Technology Company – presented their own offering in this genre with ‘Fairy Fishing’. This was the second children’s videmption title using a fishing reel interface seen at the show, fighting in crowded waters. Another emerging international entrant from China was Mecpower-Tecway, a 15 year Hong Kong and Taiwan corporation with a steady background in developing and producing amusement. The company showed their ‘Super Hacker’ – the videmption title having players using a hammer to hit a plunger wrecking objects on screen. Reminiscent of the test of skill carnival attractions, the cabinet has been jazzed-up for the family entertainment scene.
Beyond the Asian invasion – the DEAL’13 show floor also reflected other trends shaping the family entertainment sector in the UAE. In particular the need for a younger audience play appeal – along with soft play experiences from a number of sources. The show floor also reflected the deployment of audience based attractions with 4D and 6D theater experience systems vying for recognition. The DEAL show was a mirror on the growth of FEC centers across the states of the UAE and the importance that leisure entertainment pays with the diverging and sophisticated audience in this area.
With an explosion in new FEC and leisure facility openings over the last few months – many in the international trade see sales in the UAE as a vital factor in supporting their operation, and already leading manufacturers are skewing the presentation and promotion of their latest releases to support deployment in this market. Ignoring the opportunity from the UAE can be a very dangerous underestimation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Kevin Williams, the UK born specialist in the pay-to-play scene; is well-known through his consultancy, KWP and as a prolific writer and commentator (The Stinger Report) on the emergence of the new entertainment market. Kevin is also the founder of a new not-for profit association and Conference (DNA Association/DNA Conference) that focuses on the digital Out-of Home interactive entertainment sector. Kevin can be reached at – [email protected] – http://www.thestingerreport.com (both free to subscribe services).
