Unreal Bowling - The Transformation of an American Pastime

Challenge: 

To infuse a static, well known and loved American industry with a revolutionary concept.

Solution: 

Optoma’s short throw powerhouse, the EH415ST along with innovative custom software, infrared lighting and real time object tracking technology combine to transform the mundane into the insane.

Results: 

Bowling alleys see a substantial increase in business by offering the one of a kind experience only found with Unreal Bowling.

The Challenge

Everyone loves bowling – it’s a national pastime, but the industry was at its highest adoption in the 1950s and 1960swhen bowling alleys were central gathering placesand bowling leagues were popular group activities. Since the 1970s though, participation rates at bowling allieshad been declining, and it was largely due to the fact that as an industry it remained completely static with little to no innovation.

The industry and bowling business owners have found their answer to modernize and increase appeal with younger audiences who live digitally. Today’s consumer is accustomed to a multimedia experience in almost every area of their lives. With mobile devices attached to them, they are constantly entertained. How could a bowling alley compete?

The Solution

Converting Static and Time-Frozen Bowling Allies to Media-Rich Entertainment Zones

The team at Crunchy Technology, a premier interactive audio visual company, came up with the concept to make bowling a more dynamic and digital experience by delivering a fully customizable and artistic multimedia experience while bowling. Leveraging projectors, custom software, infrared lighting and real time object tracking technology, they succeeded in turning the mundane into the insane.

Crunchy converted 12 conventional bowling lanes to be infused with a custom audio visual experience, enabling players to select their preferred background with hi-fi attenuation. The ball’s trajectory is also traced with high definition special effects.

After experimenting with various projectors, they locked on the Optoma EH415ST:a full HD, 1080p short throw powerhouse.  It met the high lumens requirement at a price that made the installation possible.  Unreal Bowling, an interactive bowling experience that brings the bowling ball and lane to life through the use of high end graphics and audio was finally born.

“We took a video of our first beta site in action and it went ultra viral on Facebook with over 3 million views and 700 installation requests,” said Adi Khanna, CFO at Crunchy Technologies. “We knew we were on to an industry game changer.” 

The Results

Bowling Increases its Appeal

By giving consumers a more dynamic experience, bowling alleys have been able to draw more customers – they queue up to use the Unreal Bowling lanes, with many booking well in advance and selling out quickly. A recent installation at Sunset Bowl in upstate New York boasts a 50% increase in business, andmore bowling businesses are clamoring to add the interactive lanes.The Unreal Bowling lanes allow owners to differentiate services, attract new and repeat customers, and offer tieredpricing for the high end experience. Customers visit more often and stay longer. It can change the way owners advertise with the versatility to sponsor different corporate events, promote food and drink specials, and offer affiliate advertising.