It is virtually reality. Thrillarium, the latest gizmo show to strike tech city Bangalore, calls itself the 'ultimate simulation experience'. And simulation indeed is the name of the game. In what is the first of its venture in an amusement project, Blue Chip Amusements Inc has brought Bangalore its first simulation theatre. Thundering asteroids, blustering Black Holes, galactic clusters and the infinite void of space are what you see, even as your seats with fastened belts simulate the feel of a spacecraft trying to dodge the blows of alien enemy ships, UFOs and ETs!

It is simulation technology that makes it possible to create a world that is a replica of a real or imagined system or process upon which we can experiment, innovate and in this case, experience its feel. Carried out with the help of computers and special software, simulation has great potential in the entertainment industry, besides the engineering, IT, healthcare, hospitality and transport sectors in their R&D and analysis systems.

It is a very useful technology that can be used in situations where it would be expensive and many a time even risky to experiment with a real system.

In the Thrillarium space ride, the concept as well as the equipment are that of flight simulators. The seats which are locked by a special restraining device are all computer-operated and have a hydraulically operated motion base. Since the whole experience is sensory and there are no objects, the safety aspect is taken care of.

indiamarkets spoke to Deepak, Marketing Manager, Bluechip Amusements Inc., about the viability of such a simulation project and the opportunities for an entrepreneur who wants to enter the amusement industry.

indiamarkets: Tell us something about your company and its goals.
Deepak: Blue Chip Amusements Inc is a Chennai-based two-year-old company which manufactures indigenous equipment and special effects relating to the amusement industry. After two years of extensive research in the field of simulation software, for the first time, we have now ventured out with 'Thrillarium' in Bangalore.

indiamarkets: Why Bangalore? Why not Chennai itself to test the waters?
Deepak: We have made our debut with Bangalore because it is a city that virtually worships technology and loves gizmos. It is a good start and gives our confidence a boost, going by the response Thrillarium has generated in this city with people of all age groups and classes.
Every city or town has a character which ought to be studied before launching a product/venture. For instance, it would surely make better business sense to launch this project in Bangalore rather than say, Hubli, though both are in the same State.

indiamarkets: What triggered Thrillarium? Do you know of other similar ventures in India?
Deepak: It was our CEO, Y Sudarshana Rao's desire to have something on the lines of the Universal Studio and Disneyland in the US, right here at home. There are a couple of other projects right now, but then there the equipment as well as the software are totally imported. Besides, it is a totally different concept altogether. Here we have real life breeze effects and seat vibrations as in Disneyland. Our entire project adheres to international standards.

indiamarkets: How easy is it for an entrepreneur to enter the amusement industry? What is at stake and what does he stand to gain?
Deepak: As far as I can see, anyone who is interested in venturing into this industry in general, particularly simulation, would need a huge investment and the required know-how, depending on the magnitude of the project. That apart, identifying the right place to house it is a very important part. Because one may put in all the effort to get the right resources, but if the place does not attract enough visitors, everything goes down the drain.

indiamarkets: What are your future plans?
Deepak: We want to take Thrillarium to Hyderabad from here and other parts of the country later. A 3-D theatre, giant screen theatre and dome theatre... all these are in the offing. We also plan to change the theme of the show at 6-month intervals to retain viewer interest. Right now, it is Space Ride, but watch out for themes like Underwater, Coal Mine, Ghost House and more such simulated thrills!