Malden, MA – Ironwood has recently partnered with QB Entertainment to deliver a reality gaming space, with an expected completion date of fall 2016. This will be the second gaming facility completed by Ironwood, joining the Swedish-born Boda Borg.
Although Boda Borg was founded in the ’90s in Sweden, Boston has America’s first location. This type of gaming is designed to challenge both mind and body simultaneously as guests are faced with puzzle-solving and physical obstacles. The days of the laser tag craze are winding down as a new type of entertainment, “reality gaming,” is ushered in.
Derrick Zhao, partner of QB, says “When video games and other virtual games were introduced to the market, players found out that they can get excitement from the virtual world which they will never get from the real world. However, in recent years, the virtual gaming experience cannot satisfy some players. They began to seek gaming experiences in the real world. Consequently, reality gaming has become more and more popular. Also, some reality games are fresh entertainment, and most players would like to try out of curiosity.”
In addition, Zhao noted that “parents are always worried that their kids will become addicted in video games or online games. Reality gaming is able to provide the same or similar experience; besides, reality gaming provides opportunities for players to do physical exercise as well as mental exercise. As a result, parents would like their kids to play reality games instead of videos games for extracurricular activities.”
Is this new ‘craze’ here to stay? It’s hard to say. With other similar venues like Escape the Room, Trapology and 5Wits, Ironwood believes it’s onto something.
