Sound Off #103 - The 12 Trends of 2025, Children IP Collab Misses, and more!

Sponsored by Intercard!Sponsored by Alan-1!On this week's show we argue for a clean break from the isolating nature of VR to the more social interactive XR, trace the fallout from streaming and retail shakeups, and spotlight where IP-driven venues thrive or falter. From Universal’s UK greenlight to the rise of challenge rooms, the throughline is simple: design for people together. Finally, we wrap the show with a 2025 trend roundup!• why shared XR experiences beat VR isolation• Warner-Netflix dynamics and Paramount’s options• Arcade1Up assets shift to Basic Fun!• Brighton Pier Group divests parks and mini golf chain• Mattel’s water park push and IP limits• Round1 revenue parity raises questions• Universal Studios Great Britain approval and timing• Nickelodeon venue closure in Spain• branded IP collabs that miss the mark• connected tournaments and revenue sharing trends• Disney’s Sora deal and AI implications• United XR takeaways across VR, AR, hygiene, and AI• immersive simulators replacing VR pods• mall arcades return with Gen Z demand• Genda’s fast global expansion• escape and challenge rooms scale with hospitality• cinema struggles and the cinetainment bet• brand reinvention at Chuck E. Cheese• transmedia and LBX as the new north star• lessons from openings, closures, and debt pressureSubscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!