Brent Bushnell Co-Founder on Engineering Entertainment and Social Fun at New Two Bit Circus in Dallas » Dallas Innovates

Brent Bushnell, Co-Founder and Chairman of Two Bit Circus. [Photo: Dallas Innovates]

Brent Bushnell
Co-founder and Chairman of the Board
Two circus bits
…on the official launch of the indoor mini-theme “Two Bit Circus” in Park Lane shops in Dallas.

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After a mushy opening two months in the past, Two Bit Circus formally launched Tuesday in its Park Lane shops in Dallas, It homes 35,000 sq. toes of technologically enhanced leisure. Sights embody arcade video games. VR, AR, and “prolonged actuality” experiences; “story rooms”; reimagined carnival video games; and extra.

There’s even a robotic bartender named after him Guillermoin addition to the traditional “Carnival Eats” to associate with the “Molecular Blends” cocktails.

It’s the second location for Two Bit Circus, an idea initially launched in Los Angeles. “We have at all times recognized that Dallas group is the right viewers Bushnell mentioned final spring.

After its first official day, Two Bit Circus held a launch celebration – and it was full of buyers from DC manufacturing unitAnd a number of other native startups and innovators trying to don a VR headset and kill some zombies. (topgolf chief govt officer Eric Anderson Among the many firm’s different buyers.)

Co-founder and Chairman of the Board Brent Bushnell He flew for the launch, as did the co-founder and chief know-how officer Eric Gradman and CMO Andy Levy.

Bushnell’s father based each Atari and Chuck E. Cheese

Bushnell’s father Nolan based each Atari and Chucky Cheese earlier than the age of 40, so younger Brent was raised as a “beta tester” for all their video games and video video games. Early in his profession, Brent Bushnell developed video games for company sponsors and animated issues just like the Tremendous Bowl. This led him to construct the STEAM Carnival – an academic element of STEAM Training, to introduce a majority of these video games to youngsters. That is when he and Gradman determined, “You already know, let’s get a everlasting house for all of this.” Born to Bit Circus.

Co-founders Gradman and Bushnell met practically 15 years in the past. They each had “regular” engineering jobs earlier than venturing into the world of small amusements. Gradman has a colourful historical past as a circus performer, skilled whistleblower, automaton, and inventor. He beforehand labored with a authorities contractor to construct robotic prototypes. I feel DoD work.

“It was a very cool piece of labor,” Gradman informed us on the launch celebration final night time. However, he says, Two Bit Circus suits his persona. Now that he is creating issues which are an entertaining blast for Two Bit Circus company—and retaining their stroll on prime, Gradman appears proper at house.

Bringing individuals along with multiplayer video games

One of many issues we noticed at Two Bit Circus final night time was an infinite sequence of combos bobbing throughout the concrete flooring, discovering their means into the whole lot from Hungry Hippo to futuristic, floor-shaking VR HyperDeck to story rooms (its model of Hungry Hippo) escape rooms), the place groups race to do issues like rescue an “Working Room” doll.

All of this teamwork is a part of the plan, Bushnell informed us.

“Within the amusement business, a number of it’s constructed round single-player video games,” he mentioned. “It is business lore that it must be single participant. That was one thing we mentioned no. Most issues listed here are multiplayer, and also you get two to 4 individuals collectively. That was a enjoyable design limitation. But it surely’s necessary, particularly post-COVID, that all of us get We reside in a single individual. We’re somewhat on the psychological well being entrance.”

The workforce creates 70% of the video games within the “circus” – digital and augmented actuality are points of interest

CMO Andy Levy He informed us that the corporate’s workforce created 70% of the video games on the sprawling website.

“You keep in mind frenzy, the online game the place you need to demolish buildings? Levi confirmed us a recreation that had two actual wrecking balls that gamers might swing to trigger injury that scored factors. “That is the bodily model of him. That is the factor about our video games — they’re actually meant to be bodily video games which you could play collectively.”

There’s additionally a sensible model of sweet crushVR rollercoasters and way more.

Lots of the enjoyable at Two Bit Circus, Bushnell mentioned, is watching individuals go to entire different worlds by digital actuality — or experiencing it your self.

Present why people are “hackable”.

“It is superb,” he mentioned. “It reveals the facility of the thoughts — how permeable people are, since you’re standing on strong concrete. There’s nowhere your physique can go in actual life. However in VR, you are holding on to a rickety rope and ladder. It is vibrational and all that stuff mixed” makes individuals really feel They escaped to a different world.

“Within the HyperDeck, persons are screaming at zombies. Your rational thoughts is like, I am on the ground. I am in the course of a mall, proper? I am fantastic — and then you definately get these VR zombies reside and also you’re within the recreation.”

There’s additionally the old-school traditional SkeeBall at Two Bit Circus, together with a cool trendy taking pictures gallery with pistols and rifles that electronically shoot down previous tin cans, spinning geese, and different targets.

“As a result of, you already know, we’re in Texas in any case,” Levy mentioned.

Extra scenes from Two Bit Circus:

For extra who mentioned what about all issues North Texas, Test each final phrase.

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