Merlin Entertainments and Immersive Gamebox Announce Partnership

(eap) Today, UK-based leisure attractions operator group Merlin Entertainments and Immersive Gamebox, also a British company, announced to enter a partnership. Immersive Gamebox currently operates 27 of the so-called “Gamebox” facilities in the UK, USA, Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Gameboxes allow groups of two to six people to immerse themselves in a gaming world using advanced immersive gaming technology and active motion. Merlin and Immersive Gamebox are now looking to bring more locations to Europe, Australia, the UK and USA. The first will launch in Sidney, Australia and at Sea Life Oberhausen, Germany in late 2023. Each facility will feature eight free-standing Gamebox units, each of which will allow players to play enjoy ranging from 30-120 minutes in length.

The partnership creates a new platform for collaboration with Merlin’s IP and brand relationships including Hasbro’s “Peppa Pig”, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s “Jumanji”, or LEGO^®. So far, the IPs “PAW Patrol”, “Shaun the Sheep” and “Squid Game” are part of Immersive Gamebox’s portfolio. In addition, a new “Ghostbusters” game will become available in cooperation with Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment on Halloween.

Will Dean, CEO and Co-Founder at Immersive Gamebox, said: “We are committed to bringing our audience the very best partnerships which enable us to create one-of-a-kind immersive games they’ll love anywhere in the world. Our company’s purpose is to bring people together through technology-enabled shared play, and we are bringing these games to more people than ever before and revolutionising how fans interact with entertainment through this partnership with Merlin Entertainments. Given Merlin’s position as a global leader in location-based attractions combined with their track record of scaling across markets, the agreement also supports further expansion of Gameboxes globally.”

“Will Dean is an extraordinary entrepreneur who has masterfully built a world-class team, developed cutting-edge technology and partnered with iconic IP, making Immersive Gamebox the perfect complement in our build out of our clusters around the world. Immersive Gamebox provides a prudent business model and an immersive ‘come together - play together’ experience that is second to none. This new, exciting chapter with Immersive Gamebox is being executed with the hope that with success will come a deeper rollout throughout our global estate,” states Scott O’Neil, CEO of Merlin Entertainments. ■