3 Orlando firms team up on project
Companies have built new Dave & Buster’s arcade game
A maze of small offices of a nondescript warehouse in south Orlando offered its tenants the perfect opportunity for an on-the-fly collaboration on a high-profile project.
The companies were working on a new virtual reality ride for the entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s, one based on the hit film “Jurassic World.”
In their somewhat cramped quarters, where a total of 25 welders, programmers, engineers and technicians work for three companies, the conversations were usually unplanned.
“Their office was right there, so a lot of times when they were having a discussion, I could scream in and say, ‘Hey, how about trying this?’ ” said Chris Gray, vice president of one of those firms, Skyline Attractions.
The 26,500-square-foot facility at 3923 Forrestal Ave. is home to Skyline, Ashland Technologies and Talon Simulations. The “Jurassic World VR Experience” arcade game marks the first major deal the companies acquired together. Terms were not disclosed.
The companies hope to parlay the success of the “Jurassic World” project, which put the games into 130 Dave & Buster’s locations nationwide, into becoming a powerhouse group that will pursue other entertainment deals.
“It will be difficult for anyone to match if they are not collaborating in an incubator like we are,” said Bill Wydra, who opened the Orlando location of Hegins, Pa.,-based Ashland about four years ago to have a presence in the theme park capital of the world.
He has since welcomed the ride-design firm Skyline, of which he is a partner, and the virtual reality company Talon
Simulations.
Ashland built the hardware at the center of the “Jurassic World” arcade game.
The deal would not have been possible without the companies being in the same building, said Kevin Bachus, Dave & Buster’s Los Angeles-based senior vice president of entertainment and games strategy.
“When (Talon) introduced us to Ashland Technologies, all the pieces fell into place,” he said. “On a project this large … if they hadn’t already embedded into Ash-Tech and been familiar with the people and processes there, there’s no way we could have been successful.”
Bachus and other Dave & Buster’s officials attended a
recent party at the franchise’s International Drive store to celebrate the debut of “Jurassic World VR Expedition.”
Men and women in formal business attire took turns waiting in line with Dave & Buster’s customers for a chance to sit in the game, which leans, pitches and dives along with the scene displayed on a player’s virtual reality headset.
The attraction takes up to four players on a five-minute ride through the fictional dinosaur park on Isla Nublar. Players score points by using a hand-held controller to virtually tag velociraptors, brontosauruses and, of course, a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Talon cofounder Brandon Naids had spent time at the incubator as a University of Central Florida student before formally setting up shop there in 2015.
Over the course of about a year, the group hosted Dave & Buster’s officials more than a dozen times at the site.
“It was very nerve-wracking, but we were pretty confident,” Naids said. “We did a group pitch, which helped my nerves. The one-stop shop was very valuable to them.”
Talon specializes in virtual reality motion simulators, which first attracted the Dave & Buster’s group.
However, after an Orlando visit, the entertainment center company realized Talon would not be able to deliver the full scope of the project.
That’s where the collaboration helped them land the deal.
While Ashland built the physical ride, Skyline engineered and designed it.
Talon, meanwhile, provided the wiring and testing on the motion simulator that it provided. Landing the Dave & Buster’s work could build the region’s reputation, especially as it relates to theme park-based deals, said Dennis Pape, a business coach and mentor who runs the downtown co-working space Catalyst.
“Their success reflects well on Orlando tech and should help bring more attention to our region,” he said.
The Jurassic Park deal had not been on Wydra’s radar when he opened the incubator.
“The message here is, do the right thing,” he said. “We did the right thing when we offered the seats to the Talon guys, and they have brought in a lot of opportunity and enjoyment into our world.”