XBOX Has its Eye on the Theme Park Business
Get ready for more theme park attractions and immersive experiences based on XBOX titles.
The theme park industry is big business. Companies like Disney and Universal have known this for years, with Disney Experiences frequently responsible for the majority of the company's revenue. Netflix dipped its toe in the immersive experience game last year with Netflix House, and now another media powerhouse, Microsoft's XBOX, is looking to grow its theme park footprint in a big way.
What's Happening:
- A recent post from XBOX Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball has announced the formation of a new division within XBOX, called XP.
- XP's focus will be growing XBOX franchises in areas outside of the games themselves. This includes film, television, consumer products, and live experiences.
- XBOX is promising major investments in what it calls XBOX Places. This includes live events, immersive experiences, attractions, and destinations.
- The post specifically calls out the deal that XBOX subsidiary Mojang Studios made with Merlin Entertainment in 2024 that will bring Minecraft attractions to its theme parks. It promises this was "the first of many theme park placements to come."
- XP's new President is Kayleen Walters, who has spent time at Lucasfilm and MGM, but most recently was President of Mojang Studios, making her a producer on the hit A Minecraft Movie.
- XBOX has spent the last several years making major acquisitions in the video game space. As a result, it has a frankly unparalleled list of IP to draw from in the video game space. Everything from Halo to Call of Duty to Overwatch and Warcraft could see theme park attractions or other immersive experiences as a result of this new endeavor.
- Movies and television will almost certainly be a primary focus for growing XBOX franchises, but that in itself could also lead to new theme park experiences. Universal Studios Hollywood's first Fan Fest Nights included a Fallout experience, inspired by the Prime Video series, which was itself inspired by the Bethesda game franchise. Bethesda is one of XBOX's game studios.
- The only question left now is likely just how quickly some of these attractions or experiences could come to market. While attractions certainly take time, announcements could come much faster.
More Video Game News:
- Check out the full soundtrack for the recently released Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
- Laughing Place has reviewed Marvel's Wolverine.
- Could a Disney Parks management video game be on the way?