3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space
Published by 4th WAVE, Inc. Issue
#714 6/19/97
CONTENTS
714.1 Quick News By Christina Person
3Name3D and Ticketmaster Inc. Presented Ticketmaster Online at Intel Technology Series [June 2]
At the June 2nd Intel Technology Series, "The Future of Business Computing Symposium," 3NAME3D and Ticketmaster Inc. showcased Ticketmaster Online. Ticketmaster Online uses 3D multimedia technology and VRML developed by 3NAME3D to give the ticket buyer a "real time" view of the field or stage from the available seats. 3NAME3D has helped Ticketmaster Online use VRML 2.0 compliant 3D graphics and navigation techniques. Ticketmaster Online allows the consumer an opportunity to view all the services offered by Ticketmaster.
Coalition for Advertising Supported Information and Entertainment Calls For Entries in 2nd Annual Competition [June 5]
The Coalition for Advertising Supported Information and Entertainment(CASIE) is calling for entries in the 2nd Annual CASIE Awards. The CASIE Awards honor and recognize the most effective advertising and marketing on the Internet. The CASIE Award has implemented a new category this year: Best Collaborative Effort. The deadline for entry forms is August 8, 1997. All ads must have appeared for the first time between July 1,1996 and June 30, 1997. Finalists will be notified September 8,1997 and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the ANA Annual Conference on October 19, 1997.
Intel Announces the Opening of "State of the Art" [June 2]
Intel Corporation has announced the opening of "State of the Art", an interactive, 3D art gallery on the Internet. State of the Art is collaboration between Intel Europe, Art Concepts of Germany and Superscape VR plc. The debut exhibit includes works by artists Isa Genzken, Anton Henning, and Claus Goedicke. The gallery is accessible to all Internet-connected PC users running Windows 95/NT software plus Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.
http://www.intel.com/english/art
Compaq Offers Diamond's Fire GL 4000 with E&S's REALimage Technology [June 9]
Compaq Computer Corp. will be offering the Diamond Multimedia Fire GL 4000 graphics accelerator with Evans & Sutherland's REALimage technology in its new Compaq Professional Workstation 6000 and 8000 NT graphics computers. The addition of the Fire GL 4000 offers customers 3D graphics-intensive applications like 3D modeling, animation and industrial design.
AST Computer Selects ATI's 3D RAGE II+ for Brave MS [May 27]
ATI Technologies Inc. announced that its 3D RAGE II+ graphics controller has been chosen for AST Computer's Bravo MS commercial desktop and minitower computers. 3D RAGE II+ offers fast 2D and enhanced 3D video acceleration for standard and advanced business applications. Features of the chip include: video texturing, Gouraud shading and an integrated 200MHz digital to analog converter(DAC).
Intervista Software Launches "Reality Check" on Web Site [June 17]
Intervista Software has launched a feature series on their Web Site. The series is aimed at advancing the understanding of 3D interactive technology for the general Internet community and developers of 3D content for Web Sites. The site includes presentations on integrating VRML technology with existing multimedia programming languages like Java. The first presentation is scheduled for release on June 16th and will cover the benefits of product display or product development using VRML.
Number Nine Previews Revolution 3D [June 5]
Number Nine Visual Technology previewed the Revolution 3D graphics controller. The graphics controller features 3D, 2D and Video performance capabilities. It supports both Direct3D and OpenGL features including: hardware texture-mapped triangles, 32-bit precision Z-buffering and fogging. Some of the features of Revolution 3D are a built-in 650 MFLOPs 3D floating point setup engine, an 8KB on-chip texture cache, and a 128-bit Video Engine. Revolution 3D is being offered standard with 4- or 8- megabytes of high speed, dual WRAM graphics memory, expandable to a full 16MB's of WRAM. The estimated price is $349(4MB) and $449(8MB) while user upgradeable WRAM memory modules cost $149(4MB) and $249(8MB). Availability will begin Q3 1997.
Digimation Ships LenZFX for 3D Studio MAX [June 6]
Digimation has announced the shipment of LenZFX MAX, a revision of LexZFX 3D special effects package for 3D Studio. It contains four modules; Glow, Hilight, Flare and Focus. The special effects package also includes Inferno, a special effects generator.
Game Developers Call on Microsoft to Actively Support OpenGL [June 12]
Many of the top game developers released an open letter to Microsoft Corporation asking the company to actively support the OpenGL 3D API for games on Windows 95 and Windows NT. The developers would like the choice to use OpenGL and they are asking Microsoft to work with them so that OpenGL is provided on its platforms.
Macromedia, Inc. Integrates Shockwave Flash Into WebTV Network Service [June 17]
Macromedia, Inc. has announced that it's Shockwave Flash technology will be integrated into the next version of the WebTV Network service. This will allow WebTV Network customers to view Flash animations and graphics via Shockwave. This will give the users an opportunity to view an interactive experience of Web-based multimedia.
NEC Licenses SciTech Graphics Technology [June 12]
NEC has licensed SciTech's proprietary SVGA device driver technology for its NEC PowerVR 3D graphics chip. NEC is presently using the technology for its Tomb Raider game to fully utilize the PowerVR 3D hardware. PowerVR will offer high-performance 3D graphics and 3D effects like shadows, fogging and translucency. Fully functional trial versions of SciTech's products are available for download at www.scitechsoft.com.
Sven Technologies, Inc. Releases AvatarMaker 3D [June 13]
Sven Technologies, Inc. has announced the release of AvatarMaker 3D Version 1.0 for Windows 95/NT. AvatarMaker 3D offers customized 3D characters for use in 3D graphics and WWW applications. Avatars can be generated in 3D multi-user worlds, web page enhancement and general 3D character design. Included in the AvatarMaker 3D are 3D models and textures. AvatarMaker 3D retails for $39.95.
RTIME Announces Java Interface [June 9]
RTIME Inc. has announced the beta release of its RTIME Interactive Networking Engine for Java. Game developers can now create and deploy multiplayer games that can go anywhere on the Internet. RTIME's Interactive Networking Engine was developed to support real-time interaction, while mitigating the effects of latency and reducing bandwidth consumption. The RTIME Java Interface is available on Windows 95/NT. The RTIME Server Engine is available for Windows 95/NT, SGI and Solaris.
3Dlabs and Newfire Inc. Deliver Video Experiences with Web [June 18]
3Dlabs Inc. and Newfire Inc. have announced their joint venture to create a combination of hardware and software for an entertainment experience via common Web browsers. Both companies will develop versions of Newfire’s Torch Internet entertainment player and Catalyst authoring tools optimized for PERMEDIA 2, the second generation of 3Dlabs graphics processor. Optimized versions of Torch and Catalyst will be available this summer.
Lightscape Technologies Introduces Lightscape Libraries [June 17]
At the A/E/C Systems Show, Lightscape Technologies, Inc. introduced the Lightscape Libraries program. Using Lightscape 3.0, designers can import data from the Lightscape Libraries product catalogues. Volume I offers 3D models which provide a visual and quantitative representation of real world lights and how lighting and material products will perform and appear. Volume I features over 90 Peerless luminaires and over 350 3D objects and material finishes. The suggested retail price is $99.95. The price for Lightscape 3.0 is $495.
Lightscape Technologies Ships Lightscape Import/Export Plug-ins for 3D Studio MAX and 3D Studio VIZ [June 17]
Lightscape Technologies, Inc. has announced the release of import/export plug-ins for direct translation of data between 3D Studio MAX and Lightscape. 3D Studio MAX users can now integrate Lightscape 3.0 into their work to enhance the realism of their 3D animations. The new translators will provide support for 3D Studio VIZ also. The Lightscape Importer and Exporter Plug-ins are being shipped immediately. The will be available free-of-charge to registered Lightscape customers and can be downloaded from the Lightscape Web site.
SegaSoft Incorporates Lightscape 3.0 Into Vigilance [June 18]
Lightscape Technologies, Inc. has announced that SegaSoft used its Lightscpae 3.0 in previewing their 3D game Vigilance. 3.0 was used in the game to create pre-computed environmental lighting effects. Lightscape also announced that Lightscape 3.0 has been selected as an essential game development tool for AnyWorld, a new game development engine and workflow solution from AnyChannel, which has been licensed by SegaSoft.
714.2 Conference Report - E3 Preview
Interactive Magic and iMagic Online Unveil New Technology
Interactive Magic and iMagic Online showcase new technology at E3. Demon-1 and Demon-2 are future 3D terrain technology releases for Interactive Magic. The new games iPanzer '44 and Great Battles of Hannibal were a few of the new games announced. iMagic Online's technology focuses of 3D games over the Internet. MEGAplayer Technology allows people to play from all over the world while MEGAvoice Technology allows players to talk while they are playing MEGAplayer.
Europress and Oasis launch Oasis Interactive Songbook
Europress, a UK CD-ROM publisher has teamed up with Oasis to launch Oasis Interactive Songbook. Interactive Songbook will provide insight into Oasis' songs, albums and information about Oasis itself. Europress also showcased the E3 International Rally Championship Challenge, a new motorsport simulation for big screen racing. Also previewed was Europress' new International Touring Cars racing game and Total Football Management game.
The Motion Factory Shows Motivate
The Motion Factory shows its new technology and development tool suite called Motivate at E3. The new technology is a real-time process control robotic movement that enables game and content developers to create character-based, 3D content. Innate intelligence and reasoning power to responding on the fly to arbitrary stimuli are two of the characteristics of Motivate's Digital Actors. 3D modeling applications like 3D Studio Max can be used to create Digital Actors who when imported into the Motivate authoring environment have innate intelligence for real-time motion.
SC&T International, Inc. Unveils Ultimate Per4mer Racing Wheel
SC&T International, Inc. debuts their new racing wheel controller, Ultimate Per4mer Racing Wheel. The Ultimate Per4mer works on all racing games and comes with a set of foot pedals. Features include; Force Feedback, 280 degree rotation and programmable buttons.
InterAct Shows GameShark, SharkPad Pro 64, and V3 Racing Wheel
InterAct Accessories, Inc. shows GameShark for the Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation and for the first time Nintendo 64 game system. GameShark is an accessory that allows gamers to break codes and reveal what’s hidden and the SharkPad Pro 64 is a new N64 controller. The V3 Racing Wheel offers 300 degrees of rotation and a circular digital pad. The GameShark for Saturn and Playstation are available now for $49.99 while GameShark for Nintendo 64 is scheduled to be released Q3 of 1997. The suggested retail price of the V3 Racing Wheel is $69.99.
http://www.interact-acc.com/interactpc
Red Orb Entertainment Unveils Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Red Orb Entertainment offers a first time viewing of Riven: The Sequel to Myst. Riven features a whole new world, beyond Myst. Features include: more intriguing storyline, greater character involvement, integrated puzzles, and detailed graphics, animation and sound.
http://www.redorb.com/products
Floating Images Inc. at E3 [June 13]
Introduce New Executives
Floating Images Inc. will introduce it's new President, Managing Director and Top Management Team at E3. Floating Images technology creates natural vision 3D on computers.
Real-Depth 3D Technology
The introduction of the former Sega executives will lead into the introduction of Floating Images new 3D technology, Real-Depth. Real-Depth is different from traditional 3D methods because it works by constructing foreground and background image planes instead of left eye/right eye images. Since the image planes are at different distances from the viewer, this creates a true sense of natural vision 3D. Viewers are optical devices retail priced at $79.00 and fit over TV or computer monitors. Viewers are sold by the company and are bundled with Real-Depth.
Natural Vision 3D Imaging
Floating Images Inc. will be displaying their Natural Vision 3D Imaging on computers and televisions. This new technology is displayed on a single plane and does not require glasses.
"Air Floater" Demonstrated
Floating Images Inc. demonstrates its latest Air Floater, a 3D imager which produces colorful images 7 cubic feet in size which hover in thin air and require no viewing apparatus. The new prototype can be used to display animated or video images.
Psygnosis Showcases Next Generation 3D PC Games
Psygnosis will showcases 3D PC and third generation console software at E3. Included in the line-up are Formula 1, Wipeout XL and G Police. Some of the companies showing Psygnosis' titles included, ATI Technologies, Diamond Multimedia, Intel, Matrox Graphics, and Microsoft.
3DO Shows Products for the PC, Internet and Video Game Consoles
3DO will feature new products for the PC, Internet and video game consoles. Titles featured include: Might and Magic VI, the Sequel from New World Computing; Uprising from Cyclone Studios; Meridian 59 Revelation from Studio 3DO; Army Men; and, World Championship Racing, the 64-bit arcade/simulation.
Headland Digital Media Showcases netWAR
Headland Digital media is showcasing its second online game debut, netWAR, a multi-player combat game in a real-time online war zone. netWar allows up to 30 opponents per battlefield. It also includes chat functions and gaming news. A free download is available at the netWAR site.
Midway Introduces 8 New Video Game Titles
Midway Home Entertainment introduces 8 new video game titles with topics covering sports, shooting, fighting, and driving games. Some of the games scheduled for preview are: Mace: The Dark Age, a 3D fighting game; NBA Hardwood Heros, a hoop simulation which supports up to ten players; and San Francisco RUSH Extreme Racing, the driving game for up to four players.
Intergraph will be featuring the newest members of its high-performance Intel/Windows/Windows NT based 3D PC product line. PCs being features are the 266 MHz Pentium II-based TD-225 with Intense 3D Pro 1000 graphics for game content creation, and the 233 MHz Pentium-based TD 25-PC with Intense 3D 100 for game players. The PCs feature interactive 3D graphics performer and 3D applications like CAD, animation, content creation and visualization. The PCs can be ordered direct from Intergraph for $1185.
Gateway 2000 Unveils Technology for Big Screen PC/TV[June 18]
Along with Toshiba, Chromatic Research and Time Warner, Gateway will unveil breakthrough technology which will be available on a Big Screen PC/TV.
RTIME Inc. Releases Source Code for RTIME Rocks [June 16]
RTIME Inc. has announced the release of the source code for RTIME Rocks, a 100-person, fast-action twitch game for the Internet. The source code and tutorial is bundled with V2.0 of the RTIME Interactive Networking Engine.
DWANGO Invites Media to Test DWANGO-Zone [June 17]
DWANGO has invited the media to test their skills on the DWANGO-Zone. The DWANGO-Zone is a high-speed online gaming through Microsoft’s Internet Gaming Zone. The demonstration will be Thursday, June 19th through Sunday June 22nd on the concourse between the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.
714.3 3D Animation Market - More from the Roncarelli Report by John Latta
The recently released Roncarelli Report on the Computer Animation Industry provides rich insights into how rapidly the industry is changing. In one year Windows NT when from 10% of all animation units sold in 1995 to 67% share in 1996. The average production value in 3D on a PC was $40K while it was $175K on workstations. However the ratio of the production value to machine cost on the PC is 4.2 while it is 3.8 on workstations, also in 3D. The continuing saga of not having enough trained animators is described in the report. In 1996 only 17,400 completed their animation schooling and entered a market that was demanding 44,500 animators. The report is now available.
e-mail: pixel@inforamp.net
714.4 Company Profile - E&S - From the High End to Desktops Using OpenGL by John Latta
The WAVE Report recently interviewed Jim Oyler, President and CEO of Evans and Sutherland. This company has a long heritage in visual computing which goes back to the pioneering days of 3D graphics at the University of Utah.
With the first shipment of the Harmony system, by the end of the year, E&S will mark the start of a transition in product families which has been 2+ years in the making. All new 3D image generation (IG) products will have Windows NT as the front end and use OpenGL as the standard API. In addition, the company has a multi-product strategy, which spans IGs from flight simulators to cards for desktop PCs. A key factor in the transition is the migration of the company to a new data base format which supports the advanced 3D features first being introduced on Harmony. This set includes bump mapping, Phong lighting and greater image detail. E&S intends that the full product line, based on its RealImage technology, will work with the new data base structure.
The transition to OpenGL has not necessarily been an easy one. Like many in the industry, E&S has found that the ICD for Windows NT is a complex piece of software. On the simulation side OpenGL does not support a number of the new features which make Harmony standout. Further, OpenGL also has limitations in that it is not designed to support precise timing. In the simulator business one must guarantee that a new frame will be delivered at 60f/s, especially in flight simulators. E&S feels a robust OpenGL is important and they are working within the ARB to propose extensions.
A core business at E&S is flight simulators. This industry is just now recovering from a prolonged downturn that lasted from 1990 to 1995. The last big year was 1989 where it was estimated that 60 complete aircraft simulators were sold. The market is beginning to ramp again and in 1997 it is expected that 30 simulators will be sold. These simulators typically cost approximately $13m.
In addition to improvements in commercial airline simulation sales Jim Oyler is bullish on the military simulator market. Although many see the impact of military cutbacks as resulting in less $ for simulation he sees otherwise. As the military has become more sensitive to cost the reality remains that simulators are cheaper than actual operations. Thus, E&S expects continued growth in the military simulator market.
The military also continues to push the technology and some of these directions have important long range implications in civilian applications and even in PC markets. Jim described two classes of applications, the tradition high speed out-of-window aircraft simulation and ground force simulation. These latter simulators include tanks, infantry and small weapons. What is equally important is that the objects are close to the observer including the level of ground detail. For example, a helicopter pilot requires detail on foliage which would not be useful to a jet fighter pilot. E&S again feels that meeting the diverse needs of both applications puts a reliance on the data base used to drive the IGs. These two disparate applications have become a forcing function for both hardware and software development.
In civilian applications there are direct parallels with these two military uses. City planning is one example where a walk through would require ground level detail and a fly over top level detail. E&S sees applications in building design approvals and zoning variance approvals which will leverage the military developed technology and data bases.
E&S has also hit the time to market crunch characteristic of the PC business. Jim intends that PC products will be coming out every 6 months. To do this they have in place multiple design teams. E&S expects to have a continuous product flow and in that process they will drive down features and performance from the high end throughout their product line and into the PC products.
Jim Oyler is most bullish about the ability of his company to impact the real time 3D market. Coming from the high end where the problems surface first his company has seen many of the issues that have yet to impact PC accelerators. In describing future 3D products Jim puts the capabilities of his company in context with the emerging 3D market based on high quality image generators-"...none of the low end (3D accelerator) companies have the level of experience we do - these companies just cannot do the work." An example of the depth of the company was hinted at when Jim described two features of their next generation products: dynamic shadowing and real time ray tracing.
Points to Ponder - Leveraging 3D Heritage and Experience
There continues to exist a gap between the companies with a long heritage in real time 3D and the products on the market today, especially on the PC. The recent interview with Jim Oyler is an example of that gap. Specifically few in the PC product space speak of 3D data bases as a central component of 3D content. Yet, in the simulator world the data base and feature set of the IG has been integrally linked. One of the reasons is that the concept of a portable API or IG instruction set was less important than the data base in high end applications. The government has invested much in simulators, especially those for flight simulation, and data base portability has become an important issue. Yet, when a database is keyed to the feature set of the IG database portability is made difficult. The industry is faced with the issue – how to drive increasing levels of performance and feature while still preserving data base portability? Given the high cost of data based development this is a pressing issue in procurements but not in the PC business. E&S is now in the transition phase between its prior generation of image generators and matching data bases to the new generation. As Jim Oyler indicated during the interview, the data base design and conversion issues were an integral part of the development of Harmony.
Today, in PC 3D accelerators, the focus is on the feature set at a performance mark. Does it have trilinear MIP-Mapping at the quoted performance levels, is a typical case in point? Yet, the level of image detail and corresponding scene complexity seen in the high end has not migrated into real time PC systems. One example of this quandary is the lack of industry adoption of the OpenFlight format by Multigen. This is one of the first proposals for a database standard but it has not taken off. To our knowledge only Datapath’s Realimation software imports the format. Thus, we see the lack of a data base focus in the 3D industry as another indication of the lack of maturity of the industry which is crawling to get above the 50mp/sec fill rate.
A focus on image databases, which is at the core of 3D content, will also deflect the industry away from the bruising API battles. A few years from now few will care what the structure of the execute buffer is. In fact, with the OpenGL toolkit this process is beginning. Thus, we believe over time that the industry will become concerned about database structure, complexity and optimization not the API. Today it is just not there yet.
Bringing 3D heritage and experience, read that as real time 3D experience, to mainstream PC 3D products has not been easy. E&S in conjunction with its Vsis partner showed its 3DPro based card at SIGGRAPH last year and it has yet to ship in quantity. Likewise the Real 3D R3D/100 chip was announced at WinHEC in 1995 yet it has also yet to ship in quantity. At the WAVE Report we expect to see the emerging 3D industry on the PC to leverage the real time 3D experience base. This is certainly what Intel plans with its 740 chip designed in conjunction with the Lockheed Martin’s Real 3D company. As heritage experience transitions to the PC we will see a greater emphasis on scene graphs, databases, guaranteed frame rates and hardware feedback from the 3D pipeline so that performance and be optimized.
It is only a matter of time as the 3D industry grows up into real time.
714.5 A Personal View - The Changing World of Graphics - Henry Fuchs by John Latta
Henry Fuchs, is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is one of the inventors of the Pixel-Planes family of 3D graphics engines. Recently he gave a talk about the future of computing and the role of 3D that the WAVE Report attended. His views provide an interesting perspective on the future role of 3D in mainstream computing.
Professor Fuchs sees two emerging trends in computing in the next 5 - 20 years. These are in wearable computers and what he calls "being there" teleconferencing.
His frame a reference for wearable computers is the beeper and eyeglasses. There is no reason that computers cannot be reduced to the size of a beeper. For these wearable devices to be useful the display must be transparent and the standard by which to judge display technology should be eyeglasses - light weight and transparent to the user. Given the potential for this technology a major issue lies in the user interface and it is here that 3D will play a critical role. The interface must be a 3D metaphor. Imagery will also be keyed to a display output which tracks the individual look direction. Henry cites an analogy back to the original Dynabook concept where the 2D GUI consumed 60% of the computer cycles just to provide a rich interface display. Increasingly 3D computing will dominate the computer interface and computer that one wears all the time is the next evolutionary step.
The next step in computing will be enabled by large area displays. He cites the micromirror technology of TI as an example of what can be used to implement such large displays. These displays would be integrated with 3D scene acquisition and 3D scene presentations. Such displays would be a part of systems that incorporate digital cameras and position sensing. Henry speaks of displays which have 50 - 100 million visible pixels.
Professor’s Fuchs views provide an interesting perspective for how 3D technology will dominate the evolution of computing devices. Today we take for granted a 2D interface which was pioneered over 20 years ago at Xerox PARC. He suggests that tomorrow we will see and experiences 3D as an integral part of computing in new form factors and devices that make computers transparent and omnipresent in the same way that beepers and phones are today.
714.6 Facility Review - Dave & Busters, Birmingham, England by John Latta
Recently Dave & Busters opened their fist overseas facility
in England. This facility is a direct plant of the same concept
that has become popular in the US. It is operated in the England
by Bass Leisure Entertainments Limited. They expect to open 7
facilities in England by 2000.
This first site is located in the upscale city of Solihull about 1.5 hours from London. Just across the parking lot is a UA Cinema 14 screen multiplex but other than the theater the installation is in the middle of a residential area.
There are only a few differences between this and a typical Dave & Busters in the US. One difference comes from England’s liquor laws. In spite of the fact that Dave & Busters is open until 12:30am from Monday to Saturday the bar closes at 11pm. Like other Dave & Busters installations it is closed to children at 10pm. Included in the complex is: a viewpoint bar, a casino simulation, shuffleboard, billiards, a special events theater called the showroom, a dinning area, a golf simulator and the midway with coin-op games. We were at there on a Saturday evening and the age groups varied from children to individuals under 50. The facility was fairly busy and we gauged that most were coming for the first time. Security was evident and the dress code was being strictly enforced.
According to the Managing Director, Neilson McDermott, one of the most popular attractions is the golf simulator. He also stated that this first facility was located in Solihull because of the wealth in the area and its high traffic. As he described it;" these neighborhoods have two cars in them."
One of the hallmarks of Dave & Busters is the training and a team form the US took from 2 - 4 weeks to train the employees on the Dave & busters way of operations. A key objective of Dave & Busters was to plant a US facility in the England and by every indication this has been accomplished.
We did a small sample and found a view expressed that Dave & Busters is considered "different." It is also seen as a up market arcade and a good night out.
Points to Ponder - It is getting more expensive all the time
We came away from Dave & Busters impressed with the execution of the facility and its consistency with US operations – both hallmarks of Dave & Busters. At the same time we wonder can this upscale concept be supported at 7 locations in the relatively small country of England? In the surrounding area there are 2.5 million people near Birmingham. In the US the population levels which fit existing Dave & Busters facilities appear to be higher: Atlanta (3.3m), Chicago (7.7m for 2 facilities), Washington, DC (4.75m) and Dallas (2.89 for 2 facilities). It will be interesting to watch if the attendance rate declines in the next 1+ years as the Birmingham area becomes well acquainted with the facility. If this should happen the draw from 50+ miles will have to help sustain the facility. In the past England has not had a strong cultural tradition of going out to eat but this is also changing.
Dave & Busters has another unique distinction - being the most expensive for its coin-op play. The WAVE Report has been tracking play costs in a number of facilities and at $47/hour for simulated golf Dave and Busters sets the record. In virtually all other games we logged they are the most expensive. Here is a sample: Namco Propcycle - $2; Virtuality - $6.90; Sega Rally - $2.25; and Sega Daytona - $2.65. Dave & Buster combines a class image with an excellent facility but we wonder if these prices to play can continue to go up. If the public perception is that this is an up market arcade we forecast that the public will tire of the venue as they realize the high cost of having fun out-of-home.
Dave & Buster's
Otium Park
Highlands Road
Solihull, West Midlands
United Kingdom
714.7 Facility Report - Trocadero, Paccadilly Circus, London
If there is a concept for a local theme park Trocadero has to be at the top of the list of facilities anywhere in the world. On 7 September 1996 Sega opened a massive addition to the facility called Segaworld. The WAVE Report went exploring at Trocadero and we found much of interest.
Various attractions including retail are scattered around the building. At its center is a large atrium from which one can take escalators to the other floors. It is estimated that 16m pass through Trocadero each year. It is claimed that of the 23.9 million visitors to London that 74% will visit Piccadilly Circus.
Since the completion of Segaworld this one facility dominates the building. One can purchase a 6 attraction pass in Trocadero for 9.95 pounds and ride the Emaginator, laserbowl, virtual glider, virtuality, bumper cars and gain entry to Segaworld. We were there on a Monday night and the facility was busy but not crowded.
Segaworld
Segaworld dominates Trocadero. Sega states that the facility cost 45m pounds to build, it covers 110,000 square feet and has a capacity for 3,000 persons. At its opening the gate fee ranged from 10 to 15 pounds but has since been reduced to 2 pounds.
The entrance is at the center of the atrium in Trocadero from which one rides two long escalators to the 7th floor. The distribution of games and attractions is by floor:
Floor Theme
7 Beast of Darkness 6 50 Combat Games 5 70 Racing Games 4 20 Flying Games 3 80 Family Games 2 90 Sports Games
Aside from paying for each game there are special rides that also cost higher amounts. For example, each of the following cost 2 pounds: Sega AS-1, Beast of Darkness, Ghost Hunt, Mad Bazooka and Grandish House. At the 3 pound level are Aqua Planet and Space Mission. One can purchase a 5 pound ticket for 3 rides: 1 - 3 pound and 2 - 2 pound.
We normally take a counter to log the number of individuals in facilities and at Segaworld it was not required - the place was near empty. In fact, what few people who were in the facility moved so quickly between floors that we had a hard time separating the unique counts on each floor. For example on floor 7 we found only 7 and on floor 6 only 3 persons. The most popular was floor 3 for families and we counted 15.
Given the low counts, we asked an operator about Monday with the statement "...this seems very light" and his response was "This Monday is busy compared to most Mondays."
Game prices were nearly all 1 pound which put them at $1.89 based on the exchange rate on the street.
http://193.132.107.2/sega/html/home.html
Virtual World Entertainment
Two months ago this facility shut down.
Fun Land
Located on floors 3 and 4 is this traditional arcade. We counted 104 individuals and 135 video games. The prices are mostly 1 pound with some of the older standup games going for 50p. The place was busy but not packed.
Virtual Glider
This is the first time we have seen the Evans and Sutherland Virtual Glider ride in a retail setting. The cost was 2 pounds. There are three stations and we observed it twice. Once it was empty and the second time two were riding. According to the operator it is busy on the weekends.
Points to Ponder - Does Segaworld Make Business Sense?
We are puzzled. Why would anyone pay 2 pounds to get into a facility to ride an escalator to go through 6 floors of games to pay the same prices for the same games at an arcade in the same building. In fact, this section of London is saturated with arcade facilities. Only a short distance away is a Namco Wonder Park. Our individual counts in Segaworld answer the obvious question - people will not pay the gate fee when there is no value. To call paying more money for a AS-1 shake and roll ride value is a joke.
After surveying both Gameworks and now Segaworld we wonder when will reality set in.
We come away numb after seeing the same games, many of them years old, at high prices in facility after facility. It seems as if the only innovation in the industry is to generate a new package to put the games in and at the same time charge ever higher prices. The market will correct the situation. It is not if but only when.
714.8 Facility Review - The Other Side by John Latta
Tucked away in a strip mall in Lynwood, WA is an innovative approach to out-of-home entertainment: The Other Side. At the Computer Game Developer’s Conference its visibility was raised significantly when they brought 8 pods for operation in the Microsoft booth. These were continually busy during the show.
Billed as a Digital Entertainment Theater it stands out from conventional out-of-home entertainment in that it is all PC based. There are individual pods that are similar to the sit down environments used by Virtual World Entertainment. The displays are 33" with surround sound and communications to mission control. The emphasis on game play is flight simulation. However, the titles available include: Warbirds, Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF), Descent II, and Duke Nukem 3.
The facility is simple but well done. Seen directly as one walks in is a series of glass panels that expose the Mission Control. From this players or friends can gather to watch the play as seen by the controllers. There are 20 pods. The entrance area includes retail with identity items and PC software is also sold.
In keeping with an out-of-home social experience there is an emphasis on network play to establish a competitive environment. In addition, there are campaigns, missions, group events and private parties. Appointments can be made for parties of 3 or more.
One of the most outstanding aspects of The Other Side is in its pricing. The highest cost for one hour of play is $18 and this declines to $14 per hour for 3 hours of play. Compared to the escalating costs of arcade play these prices are arcade killers.
The Other Side
3333 184th Street S.W., Suite F
Lynnwood, WA 98037
714.9 Facility Review - Wizards of the Coast by John Latta
Located off the campus of the University of Washington is another attempt at out-of-home entertainment. The Wizards of the Coast is on two floors of a building on a key street near campus. The inside of the building has a medieval setting. On the first floor, the ground floor, is the greeting desk, a retail store, the arcade area and 12 Virtual World Entertainment pods which are out of view. We counted 50 video games and most of the players were college age. Payment is based on tokens that are equivalent to 25 cents. Games vary in price from $1.50 for Crusin World, Wave Runner and Apline Racer, to $1.00 for Tokyo Wars and Alpine Surfer. There were also some $.50 stand up games. The VWE cockpits cost $8 to play for a 30 minute experience with 10 minutes in the cockpit.
The most interesting part of the facility is one floor down. The theme is linked to Magic the Gatherings and there are two play areas in the basement. 23 tables were available for playing "Magic" and 1/3 were full. Most players were college age but we also saw some children. Presently, there is no cost to use these facilities but shortly there will be a $3.00 per day fee imposed to come to this level. However, this fee will not apply to the War Room described below.
In marked contrast to Magic on the lower floor on the opposite site is the War Room. This is a series of consoles in a semi circle facing one wall called the War Room. In each position on the console is a PC screen and of the 26 only 4 were not busy. This was by far the most active location in the facility. There were 15 standard PC games to choose from and all the PCs were networked, thus, one could play against friends at other consoles. The key factor was the price to play - $2.50 per 1/2 hour. In comparison to most arcade prices $5.00 per hour is a bargain. Apparently the players thought so also.
Wizards of the Coast Game Center
4518 University Way, NE
Seattle, WA 98105
714.10 Points to Ponder - Another Approach to Out-of-Home Entertainment by John Latta
We are struck by the contrast in play at both Wizards of the Coast and The Other Side compared to the many other facilities we have visited. In each facility there are PCs with the same games which can be purchased for in-home entertainment. Players are actually paying to replicate the in-home game experience. However, as we have observed many times the social component in out-of-home entertainment is a critical factor in its success. We also believe that pricing is another important determinant of how much a facility will be utilized. What is interesting, at both of these facilities, is that they each, in their own way, provide a setting to encourage play with others at very reasonable rates. PC's also provide a greater variety of game play because of the large number of titles available. Given that most new games can be played in a network, current titles provide a foundation for an out-of-home PC based game market. The combination of price, game choice and environment in these emerging PC centers certainly provide a contrast to the more traditional arcade format. Reasonable pricing and an enjoyable social experience with challenging play seem to be winning with consumers in out-of-home entertainment venues.
Seen in context it is not all that surprising to observe what consumers find appealing. Why then does the traditional entertainment industry, based on coin-op equipment, find the obvious hard to grasp? It appears that it has to hit their income statements first.
714.11 Corporate Profile - Alternate Realities Corporation's VisionDome By Jonathan Sunberg
In February of 1996, Alternate Realities Corporation (ARC), a small team from Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, debuted the VisionDome at the Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas. The VisionDome is an interactive 3-D immersive display that allows a dozen or more people to collaborate simultaneously without the use of head-mounted displays or goggles in a domed environment. Not only does the VisionDome allow for numerous people to interact within the dome, but it can also be networked with other VisionDomes across multiple sites. This allows real-time collaboration on a worldwide basis.
Our first thought when we learned of the VisionDome was to compare it to a CAVE. But the physical structure, technology, and price differ dramatically. While most CAVEs are three or four wall rooms that use multiple projectors, the VisionDome is a hemisphere that covers 360x180 degrees through one stereoscopic lens. The design can project a single high definition image from one lens over a 180-degree angle. Also while most CAVEs cost approximately $1 million, not including the extra room needed to house the environment, the VisionDome is currently selling for approximately $500,000. It is also claimed to be semi-portable. ARC suggests the use of SGI's Reality Engine to run ARC's proprietary software.
Currently, the VisionDome diameter is five meters, which supports approximately 12 people. But as Laura Solberg, Marketing and Communication Specialist at ARC, explained they "are working on a 7 meter dome that would fit up to 30 people and see a possible desktop model in the future." This desktop model would allow for simultaneous collaboration from desktop to desktop through a cloaking device that would literally cover the person sitting at his desk and his/her computer screen.
Laura explained that the VisionDome, which reached the market in April, has received considerable interest in the automotive, civil engineering, defense, entertainment, and medical industries. Two of ARC's partners British Telecomm, with one VisionDome, and CWC, with two VisionDomes, are currently using the domes at their own facilities.
ARC will be announcing shortly the trade shows that it will be attending this year. In the meantime to learn more about VisionDome visit their website.
http://www.virtual-reality.com
Copyright 1997 4th WAVE Inc.
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