Mass gaming experience takes root at Garden State Plaza

Young children looking for the carousel at Westfield’s Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey, were disappointed this past holiday season. Their older siblings, cousins, and perhaps even parents, were not.



Westfield replaced the attraction with the ESC Game Theater, a social gaming experience in which up to 30 people can engage in a game at the same time. Using wireless, motion-sensitive touchscreen devices, players can compete in more than a dozen seven-minute games, including Robot Basketball and Pixel Prison Blues. Games appear on a 30-foot-wide screen enhanced by surround-sound and synchronized lighting.



“Westfield is committed to redefining the shopping experience by leveraging the latest in technology and digital entertainment innovation, said Charley Delana, executive VP of global brand ventures for Westfield.



ESC Games CEO Todd Swidler, a veteran of the NBA and Bloomberg, said he plans to expand the concept across the U.S. and internationally.