LBX Collective

Brandon Willey

5.0 (1)
Business
Updated Daily

The LBX Collective aims to inform and educate, create opportunities to connect with industry peers, and to spur collaboration, discourse, and cross-pollination of ideas in the location-based entertainment and experience industry.Join our online community at LBXGalaxy.com! Proudly sponsored by Intercard!

1d ago

The LBX Show #94 - Zero Latency's Tim Ruse, Perkiverse, League play & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! Sponsored by Perkiverse! On this week's show we kick off season five by tracking the shift toward programmable entertainment platforms where content, identity, and upgrades create repeat visits without constant rebuilds. We also dig into the state of location-based VR with Zero Latency CEO Tim Ruse, then round out the week with openings, closures, and leadership moves shaping the attractions industry. • Intercard trade show schedule and why in-person demos matter • Trend Watch on programmable platforms replacing fixed attractions • Netflix House, Cosm, and Sphere as playbooks for refreshable content • League play as a repeat-visit engine that beats discounting • Pokémon Space Trail as a model for temporary IP overlays • Perkiverse rewards with QR check-in, XP, levels, and built-in entropy • State of VR research on what gets guests out of the house • Designing VR for mixed skill levels through agency and onboarding ramps • IP strategy in VR and how Jumanji expands the audience • What innovation looks like next: immersion and storytelling over specs • Where VR fits best in a venue mix and how to think per square foot • Openings and closures as signals for reinvestment and brand clarity • C-suite and marketing moves across Disney, F1 Arcade, Triotech, and more Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
4d ago

Entertainment Social Arena #23 - Capital Investment into Social Fun

The rapidly expanding competitive socializing sector is experiencing significant growth, driven by new investments and innovative formats across London and beyond. Key developments include London's “Silicon Valley” of social entertainment, with venues like Swingers, NQ64 Arcade Bar, and Boom Battle Bar diversifying offerings with AR, karaoke, escape rooms, and social gaming. In Manchester, Bandai Namco's £75m redevelopment of the Trafford Centre reflects the sector's reinvestment, while immersive concepts like ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ restaurants signal new experiential frontiers. Emerging venues such as Bermondsey Bierkeller underscore saturation in London’s social scene. Key trends include social amusement, hybrid hospitality-gaming models, and immersive brand-driven experiences. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
6d ago

The Stinger Report #1282 - Growing the Immersive Audience

Emerging trends reveal a strategic shift in entertainment investment towards immersive, transmedia, and phygital venues, integrating advanced projection, micro-LED, and SAR technology to enhance audience engagement. Major players like Bandai Namco and SEGA are expanding their IP across multi-platform experiences, including immersive arcades and retail stores. The industry is also witnessing the rise of “In Venue Experience” (IVE), blending live performances, interactive environments, and social media-driven buzz. However, high-profile immersive ventures face challenges, underscoring the importance of repeatability and audience participation. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
6d ago

Sound Off #137 - Superlekka's gamble, Namco's rebrand, Sega's pivot, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we challenge the lazy idea that arcade revenue appears the moment you drop machines on a floor and instead argue for designing the mix around real guest play dynamics. We also track the market forces reshaping location-based entertainment, from video game industry contractions and IP deals to rebrands, executive shakeups, and the next wave of VR and competitive socializing concepts. • treating retro, classic, and modern video games as different products with different play dynamics • why layout, maintenance, and machine footprint shape throughput and revenue • how a consumer gaming slowdown plus a GTA-scale launch can hit out-of-home traffic • Namco’s UK rebrand back to the core name and the risk of brand confusion • Sega’s pivot toward transmedia IP, licensing, and store strategy • Dubai Parks reopening signals and operational risks in volatile regions • resort partnerships as a durable growth path for amusement operators • executive departures and new roles that hint at franchise pressure points • Dave and Buster’s declines and what “back to basics” is missing • Merlin refinancing, reinvestment needs, and signs of tired parks • competitive socializing concepts like Superlekka and expanded mini golf formats • product trends from GTI through VR, interactive floors, projection games, and micro escape rooms Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Sep 20

The LBX Show #93 - IP Licensing risks, GTI Asia China Expo review, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we track what’s booming and what’s breaking across location-based entertainment, from a surge of new venue openings to closures that reveal the harsh realities of franchising, leasing, and stale concepts. We also review the latest arcade releases and GTI Asia show-floor trends that could shape what players see next in North America. • Preview of Season Five contributors and format tweaks • Tease of a new experiences-based rewards software platform and upcoming rollout timing • Major opening trends across active entertainment, immersive venues, and competitive socializing • Concerns about cookie-cutter retail builds, dwell time, per-cap spend, and long-term freshness • Branded attractions and licensing risk, including the Squid Game experience model • Big swings like Cosm and why cruise ship entertainment is becoming serious business • Closures, takeovers, and rebrands that show how quickly market share can change hands • Arcade Corner highlights from GTI Asia China Expo plus new racing releases and giant light gun screens Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Sep 13

The LBX Show #92 - Rerun: Annual Predictions Episode 2026!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we revisit the Annual Predictions episode while BW is away in Bled, Slovenia racing at World Masters regatta. On this re-run, we grade last year’s location-based entertainment predictions with brutal honesty, then map the signals that matter for operators across competitive socializing, arcades, VR, and IP-driven experiences. We close by laying out a practical 2026 playbook and a new round of predictions you can hold us to. • IAAPA FEC Summit details and why it matters for FEC operators • A clear framework for high, medium, and low predictions • Japan amusement expansion in the US through cranes, gashapon, and acquisitions • Competitive socializing venues overtaking traditional multi-attraction FEC new builds • Dave and Buster’s brand strategy miss and the reality check on social bays • VR supplier consolidation versus ongoing mini golf oversaturation • Openings trend toward phygital signage, drop-in mission rooms, and hybrid mixes • Round One component utilization and why positioning beats copy-paste rollouts • XR fitness inside gyms plus the operational reality of cleaning headsets • Closings and restructurings including Sixes and Dreamscape pivots • Arcade industry 2025 releases, trade show momentum, and uneven operator performance • Four 2026 growth levers: basics, efficiency, grassroots, value-first • 2026 predictions on transmedia, pickleball, Merlin, IP venues, and laser tag evolution Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Sep 8

The Stinger Report #1281 - New Phase in XR Investment – Part 2

Leading investors should note the evolving XR amusement landscape, marked by major restructurings, closures, and emerging trends. The Dutch VR operator The Park shifts focus to cultural experiences amid management changes, while high-profile VR adventures like Felix & Paul’s Interstellar ARC and Space Explorers face abrupt closures due to poor audience turnout and high costs, raising concerns about market viability. Conversely, social VR platforms like MirraArena expand rapidly across China, demonstrating strong consumer engagement. Additionally, mixed reality installations like Ripley’s Aquarium’s ‘Venture Realm’ utilizing Apple Vision Pro signify early adoption of MR in Western entertainment venues, highlighting new growth opportunities. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Sep 8

Sound Off #136 - Little Lions Arcade Arena, FEG snags Top Golf, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we get blunt about what is squeezing location-based entertainment right now: subscription licensing, staffing needs, and the widening gap between what tech promises and what venues can reliably earn. We also break down the week’s biggest headlines, from an IP theme park announcement that unravels fast to hands-on notes from a new immersive venue in London. • subscription pricing pressure in free-roam VR and LBE operations • why operators still need staff even with “attendantless” claims • when IP helps sell the attraction and when it is a crutch • the Dragon Ball Z park announcement and the licensing reality check • leadership moves and what they signal about growth and acquisitions • Liv Golf’s potential collapse and what replaces the void • Topgolf’s arcade rollout and why deployment matters more than packaging • Area 15 rebrands tenants and the risk of taking everything in-house • Cineworld’s racing sim push and the problem of too many simulators • Pixel World’s multi-attraction model and the marketing execution gap • 501’s virtual archery concept and why usability decides the outcome • Genda’s quiet IP merch strategy including a Disney corner • Apple Vision Pro pop-ups and Meta smart glasses privacy damage control • Arcade Arena London review with Pac-Man Live, Chaos Karts, Alien Invasion Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

The LBX Collective aims to inform and educate, create opportunities to connect with industry peers, and to spur collaboration, discourse, and cross-pollination of ideas in the location-based entertainment and experience industry.Join our online community at LBXGalaxy.com! Proudly sponsored by Intercard!

Creator

Brandon Willey
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

606
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 LBX Collective
Show Website

LBX Collective

Management

Management

Updated Weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Biweekly
Technology

Technology

Updated Weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Biweekly