Dome Screen Gaming Gets A Crowd Multiplayer Upgrade With Fulldome Pro

VR often steals the headlines when it comes to new gaming experiences to use unique tech but there is another type of visual mechanism that is looking to give VR a run for its money, the dome screen. The arcade market already has this technology operating in practice thanks to Bandai Namco’s Mach Storm (in Japan they have had it a while longer  thanks to the “Gundam Pods”, which hardware Mach Storm is based on) but there is more interest for Out-of-Home Entertainment using the tech. Like VR it produces a unique effect but chances are that this will remain much more of a commercial technology than a consumer one since TV shows and movies aren’t aiming to get one of these into every home.

Enter the Fulldome Pro. We’ve discussed some theater type attractions before where 10+ players get a light-gun to blast something on the screen. Most of those stand out with motion seats. The Fulldome Pro doesn’t worry with motion seating at this point, just a massive dome screen ceiling where up to 100 players can enjoy their first entertainment offering called Earth Patrol, a light-gun space game. The projection can run at either 2.7K  or 4K resolutions and it appears to be entirely seamless. Check out the video:

Sure it won’t work for most venues, much like the Galaxian 3 theaters didn’t due to their cost and size. But it is another arrow in the dome screen quiver entertainment sector. We can have these in a size that caters to 1, 2 or 100 people and where it doesn’t have to be placed directly on the consumer’s person, that gives it an advantage over VR headsets while still delivering some immersion as wanted. Bandai Namco’s Lost Land Adventure is the next arcade level attraction that will do this, with a larger screen to handle two players. It will be interesting to see IAAPA this year and whether or not this will be the new tech to grab everyone’s attention. What are your thoughts about this new tech?

[Fulldome Pro Website via The DNA Association]