Why VR Arcades Died and What's Replacing Them ft. Kevin Williams

This week, Charlie, Ted, and Rony are joined by Kevin Williams — ex-Walt Disney Imagineer, location-based entertainment specialist, publisher of The Stinger Report, and the curator behind the LBE XR Zone at AWE 2026.Kevin pulls back the curtain on why well-funded VR pioneers like The Void and Dreamscape really collapsed (spoiler: it wasn't COVID), why Sandbox VR and Zero Latency survived, and how "competitive socializing" venues are quietly becoming XR's most viable business. Plus: Alex Karp's jaw-dropping CNBC appearance, Ted's "printer ink theory" of AI economics, and the decades-old simulation lessons that could have solved VR motion sickness years earlier.⏱️ KEY MOMENTS 02:42 – Alex Karp's CNBC interview: AI, data & sovereignty 08:40 – Ted's printer ink theory of AI economics 09:54 – Computational autocracies & America's 250th 13:07 – Guest intro: Kevin Williams (ex-Disney Imagineer, The Stinger Report) 17:15 – Theme parks vs. LBE: where's the line? 21:16 – Glow's Magic Leap 2 graffiti experience at AWE 23:14 – Rony's story: a famous graffiti artist tries digital spray paint 25:19 – The open digital mesh problem: RP1, Niantic & who owns the map 30:10 – Why The Void and Dreamscape really failed ("one and done") 34:48 – What bowling alleys and pubs get right: competitive socializing 40:43 – Europa Park's mixed reality attractions 43:09 – Universal's Mario Kart AR ride: why less is more 46:08 – The Dracula/Frankenstein ride & the "squeezing" motion sickness fix 49:19 – Why VR makes you sick: the poisoning response & 30 years of forgotten simulation lessons 52:10 – The case for sharing knowledge before it's lostBrought to you by Zappar and Mattercraft. Mattercraft is Zappar's web-based platform for building augmented reality experiences without an app. Find them at mattercraft.io. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.